One very disturbing case has now come out from Ayodhya where SIT appointed by Uttar Pradesh government has found serious evidence of theft happening inside Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple itself . And honestly,the scale of what investigators are describing is difficult to process .
According to report submitted on June 23,SIT analyzed CCTV footage covering period from April 27 to June 5 . What they found during that analysis was shocking — staff members were apparently hiding cash and bundles of notes inside their clothing and personal belongings while counting donations.
And this was not happening once or twice either.
Investigators identified approximately 70 instances of suspected theft just from available CCTV footage alone . Employee testimonies also showed discrepancies between counted donations and actual bank deposits . SIT also noted that similar activities may have occurred before April 27 as well,but absence of earlier footage limited how far back investigation could actually reach.
Few key findings from SIT report standing out clearly:
- Security protocols like frisking and biometric attendance were not being enforced properly during donation counting process.
- Procedural flaws found in documentation,weighing and sealing of valuable donations including gold and silver items.
- Eight individuals have been arrested so far,including six named directly in report,and all are currently in judicial custody.
Report specifically named Avinash Shukla and Manish Kumar Yadav as individuals who were repeatedly seen on camera concealing cash . These are not vague allegations — investigators say CCTV footage directly shows this happening multiple times across different dates .
SIT is now planning full re-audit of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust accounts spanning last five years . Focus will be on construction expenditures and valuable donations . Ayodhya court has already approved police custody for three of the accused and next hearing is scheduled for July 13 .
Former Director General of Uttar Pradesh police,Vibhuti Narain Rai,made one point that is honestly hard to ignore . He said limited CCTV timeframe may represent only fraction of much larger corruption scheme . He also specifically raised concern about Maha Kumbh period,when donation amounts would have been significantly higher… raising uncomfortable question about how long this was possibly going on .
And that is where whole situation becomes even more troubling. If 70 instances were caught in footage covering barely six weeks,what about months and years before that for which no footage exists at all.
Fact that this involves one of most prominent religious sites in entire country,place that holds deep significance for millions of people,makes scale of alleged breach feel genuinely serious . Evidence collection covered trust officials,bank employees,security personnel,financial records and SOP documentation — suggesting investigators believe this went well beyond few individuals acting alone.
Whether this was truly organized theft involving multiple stakeholders at different levels,or whether full picture will ever come out clearly through re-audit and court process… that is something investigation is still working to establish right now . And many people are watching this case very closely for exactly that reason
