SBI takes over Ram temple donation count
In the wake of the donation-theft row, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya has deployed a new team to count cash offerings in donation boxes under a two-shift system supervised by the State Bank of India (SBI) even as the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to explain whether it would be possible to establish a Special Investigation Team to investigate the alleged misuse of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“Just a word of caution. Please don’t politicise the issue. The courts are not a place for politics. It is a simple case of a crime being committed. We are here to ensure a proper investigation,” the CJI said while hearing the case.
The counting process at the temple was paused for a week-long trial run but has now officially resumed, with the SBI directly overseeing it. SBI, as the trust’s official banker, is now responsible for counting the money collected from the donation boxes inside the temple. According to temple management, each shift has 10 to 12 people.
The first shift runs from 8 am to 2 pm, and the second from 2 pm to 8 pm. By rotating new teams every six hours, the trust hopes to reduce fatigue-related mistakes and limit the risk of wrongdoing. The trust has also appointed Shobhnath Mishra as the new head of cash counting.
The State Government formed a SIT on June 13 to investigate the matter. This led to an FIR being registered on June 25. Eight people, including former counting staff, were arrested in connection with the case. Authorities recovered cash, gold, silver, foreign currency, and a donation box labelled “Ramrajya Kosh.” One of the accused had over Rs 20 lakh. Subhash Srivastava, who previously oversaw cash counting, was also arrested and jailed.
The SC is overseeing the investigation, led by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and other senior officers. The SIT was expected to submit an interim report while the court reviews related petitions. The trust says it is working closely with UP Police and the SIT.