Ayodhya Ram temple donation row: SIT flags near-total breakdown of safeguards

EditionININUSGCCEnglishEnglishहिन्दीमराठीಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்বাংলাമലയാളംతెలుగుગુજરાતીWeatherSign InTOIToday's ePaperLive EditionININUSGCCEnglishEnglishहिन्दीमराठीಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்বাংলাമലയാളംతెలుగుગુજરાતીWeatherSign In TOIToday's ePaperLive NewsIndia NewsAyodhya Ram temple donation row: SIT flags near-total breakdown of safeguardsTrendingFCI ED SuspensionHindu lawVietnam boat accidentSonam WangchukGolden TempleJK FloodsEC SIRGold SmugglingFCI ED SuspensionHindu lawVietnam boat accidentSonam WangchukGolden TempleJK FloodsEC SIRGold SmugglingFCI ED SuspensionHindu lawVietnam boat accidentSonam WangchukGolden TempleJK FloodsEC SIRGold SmugglingAyodhya Ram temple donation row: SIT flags near-total breakdown of safeguardsPathikrit Chakraborty / TNN / Jul 13, 2026, 03:26 ISTCommentsShareAA+Text SizeSmallMediumLarge File photo: Ram Temple in Ayodhya LUCKNOW: The SIT probing the alleged theft of donations to Ayodhya's Ram temple has identified nine critical procedural and security lapses that collectively enabled the alleged large-scale embezzlement.The findings suggest that the theft was not the consequence of a single loophole but of the near-total breakdown of the prescribed safeguards governing the handling and counting of donations.The first line of defence collapsed as the counting personnel were not frisked while entering or exiting the cash-counting hall.

The investigation found that the mandatory pocketless uniforms prescribed for the counting staff were never enforced.Adding to the security breach, employees were allowed to carry personal belongings into the counting room despite explicit restrictions aimed at preventing the removal of cash or the introduction of unauthorised items. Investigators said that instead of maintaining separate accounts for each donation box, cash from various hundis was mixed before counting, making reconciliation of individual collections impossible.

Compounding this, no denomination-wise inventory, vouchers, or certification records were prepared during the counting process. The absence of detailed documentation meant there was no verifiable record of how much currency of each denomination had been received, counted or deposited, making subsequent audits ineffective.The probe found that biometric attendance of the counting personnel was not effectively implemented, which undermined accountability and made it difficult to conclusively establish who was present during each counting session.

The SIT found that these lapses did not operate in isolation but reinforced one another, effectively dismantling every layer of financial and physical security.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.

About the AuthorPathikrit ChakrabortyWhen not covering crime, he reads fiction, roams around the dark alleys of the city in the dead of night. An MA (English Litt) from University of Lucknow, Pathikrit loves to speak French, well at least a smattering of it. He did his graduation in French language.

A recipient of the Road Safety Fellowship of the United Nations, Pathikrit drives cautiously and advises others to do that too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos'Black Magic, Cow Urine': Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader's Daughter-In-Law Makes Shocking Allegations'I Lock Up Religion When...': Annamalai Confirms 'We The Leaders' Will Become Political PartyWatch: Assam CM Himanta Sarma Drives Road Roller, Destroys Seized Drugs'1 Indian Missing': MEA Condemns Attack On Vessel Carrying Indian Crew Off Oman Coast'Do I Have To Ask Trump?'

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