How are Ram Mandir donations counted, deposited? SIT conducts 8-hour probe

The process by which donation boxes are opened, cash is collected, and deposited in the bank was the focus of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that began its probe into alleged misappropriation of funds at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Monday. The investigation continued on Tuesday, with the SIT questioning employees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust managing the temple, as well as those involved in counting the cash and preparing the currency bundles.

The controversy erupted earlier this month after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav cited reports claiming that crores of rupees offered as donations at the Ram temple were missing. While Champat Rai, the general secretary of the trust, dismissed the claims, the Yogi Adityanath government constituted a three-member SIT to probe the allegations.

HOW CASH DEPOSITS ARE COUNTED

On Monday, the SIT conducted an intensive probe, spanning almost eight hours, which saw it closely examining the entire process -- from how donation boxes are opened, cash is collected, and bundles are prepared for bank deposits.

Upon arrival at 2 pm, the SIT, led by Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, first offered prayers at the Ram temple. Sources said the team then inspected the donation boxes in the temple premises. The SIT examined whether cash could be removed directly from the donation boxes. The possibility appeared unlikely.

There are around 40 donation boxes inside the complex. Money from these boxes is collected daily.

After the temple closes, these boxes are opened in a designated room of the trust. The trust has authorised the SBI to count the cash. The SBI, in turn, has engaged a Varanasi-based private firm for counting.

The room where the donation boxes are opened and cash is collected is equipped with CCTV cameras. Nearly 50 employees are involved in the entire process. Of these, around 24 employees from the private agency prepare bundles of currency notes. They are monitored by 12 trust employees.

Later, employees of TCS, which handles CCTV and technical operations at the Ram Mandir, along with 14 SBI staffers, count the bundles before the money is deposited into the bank. The amount is entered into official records.

SIT CONDUCTS INTENSIVE PROBE

On Monday, the SIT team scrutinised employee entry and exit records, security checks conducted during arrival and departure, and details of staff who left or joined the temple administration over the past year. The officials also examined donation-related documents and the temple's CCTV monitoring system.

During the investigation, the temple administrator, Gopal Rao, briefly left the premises. There was visible tension on his face. Rao also avoided questions from journalists present outside the temple. He returned over an hour later.

The SIT team left the temple premises around 10 pm. It has been given 15 days to submit its report to the government.

The decision to involve a private agency in a sensitive activity like counting of donations has been questioned by Akhilesh Yadav. He has also demanded that CCTV footage of the counting process be made public.

Since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024, the Ram Mandir has been receiving massive donations.

Last year, the temple trust reported earnings of nearly Rs 327 crore during FY 2024-25. Donations accounted for Rs 153 crore.

So far, police have detained a temple employee, Lavkush Mishra, who is reportedly associated with the counting of donations. During a search at his home, police recovered around Rs 10 lakh in cash. However, the police have not yet officially linked the money to the allegations around donations.

It remains to be seen if the SIT probe leads to more skeletons tumbling out of the closet.

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