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Ayodhya Ram Temple
Lucknow: Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of embezzlement of donations collected at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The decision came after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust formally requested a government-led probe into the alleged financial irregularities involving temple donation funds.
The SIT will be headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, a 2004-batch IAS officer. Other members of the panel include Lucknow Range Inspector General Kiran S, a 2008-batch IPS officer who recently returned to the Uttar Pradesh cadre after serving with the CBI and Interpol, and Neelratan Kumar, Special Secretary in the Finance Department with more than 36 years of experience in the state's finance and accounts services.
According to officials, the SIT has been directed to submit a preliminary report within seven days and a final report within 15 days.
The alleged misappropriation of funds from temple donation boxes reportedly came to light about a week ago, prompting the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to launch an internal inquiry. Sources said trust officials had begun questioning suspects and attempting recovery of the funds with informal assistance from local police authorities.
As public attention and scrutiny over the matter increased, the trust sought a formal investigation, following which the state government moved swiftly to constitute the SIT.
The probe is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged embezzlement, identify those responsible, and recommend measures to strengthen accountability and transparency in the management of temple donations.
