A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged irregularities in donations to the Ram Temple revealed significant supervisory failures and systematic thefts in the donation counting room.

The preliminary report, accessed by Hindustan Times, found that CCTV footage between April 27 and June 5, 2026, captured 70 instances of staff allegedly hiding cash in their clothes, pockets, and shoes.

Six individuals, including Avinash Shukla and Manish Kumar Yadav, have been arrested and charged with theft, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation.The report highlighted discrepancies between declared income and bank deposits, suggesting siphoned money was routed through personal accounts.Key lapses included lack of mandatory frisking, non-enforcement of pocketless uniforms, and inadequate CCTV monitoring.Senior officials like Anil Mishra and Subhash Srivastava were blamed for negligence in implementing security protocols.The SIT also noted that internal audit reports from 2022-23 to 2025-26 had flagged systemic issues, but recommendations were ignored.The trust clarified that silver donations and valuables were accounted for, rejecting social media claims of their disappearance.The SIT recommended criminal cases against the accused and further investigations into administrative accountability and systemic reforms.