Spotlight on 'irregularities' in Ayodhya Ram Temple donation as SIT files first report to Yogi Adityanath Govt
The Special Investigation Team probing allegations of embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 23 June submitted its preliminary inquiry report
The Special Investigation Team probing allegations of embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 23 June submitted its preliminary inquiry report to the Uttar Pradesh government, officials told news agency PTI. The preliminary report was submitted by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, the news agency said. The report is preliminary and investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is still underway and further facts are being gathered. Also Read | Ram Mandir SIT Probe: All you need to know about donation row The Uttar Pradesh government had on 13 June constituted the SIT on a request from the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ayodhya Ram temple. After the SIT submitted the preliminary report, Pant told PTI Videos that the SIT was trying to submit its final report within the next 10 to 15 days. "Based on the information that has come to light so far and the facts available with us, we have submitted the first report today.
This is only the preliminary report and the final report will be submitted after some time," Pant said, adding that the report was confidential and he was not authorised to share details of the findings with the media at this stage. Asked whether the team would return to Ayodhya for further investigation since the report submitted was only preliminary, Pant told PTI, "Of course, we will do that as per requirement." What is the donation row? The Ram Mandir donation controversy is an ongoing controversy involving allegations of massive financial irregularities, theft, and misappropriation of cash and valuables offered by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had previously denied allegations of misappropriation of donation funds and maintained that all the money and valuables offered by devotees are handled through laid down procedures involving counting, verification, and secure deposit mechanisms. On Friday, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said that the “truth will prevail” after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) completed its probe into the allegations of embezzlement.
Adityanath also appealed to political parties to refrain from making “baseless comments” until the investigation is over. What did Akhilesh Yadav say? Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had on 7 June cited reports claiming that crores of rupees from donations offered at the Ram Temple were missing and urged the courts to take cognisance of the matter. UP CM Yadav had demanded daily briefings on the SIT investigation, alleging that public trust in the agency had been eroded due to what he described as "widespread corruption under the BJP government." The SIT probing the alleged embezzlement of funds gad instructed its trust and temple functionaries not to leave Ayodhya. The investigators found discrepancies in documentation of offerings like gold, silver and precious stones, news agencies reported. Also Read | Yogi govt claims national record in power supply as UP meets 31,824 MW demand One of the key findings of the SIT pertains to the records of gold and silver jewellery and other precious stones, including diamonds, offered by devotees to Lord Ram, the news agency said.
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