Ahmedabad Times

The Particular Investigation Staff’s (SIT) preliminary probe into the alleged theft of money providing on the Ram temple has put senior Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Belief office-bearer Dr Anil Mishra beneath the scanner, holding him answerable for supervisory failures that allegedly allowed repeated theft of devotees’ money donations regardless of his information that obligatory safety checks weren’t being enforced.

The three-member SIT, in its report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh authorities on June 23, attributed supervisory accountability to Dr Mishra, saying his failure to make sure enforcement of the Commonplace Working Process (SOP) created circumstances that allegedly enabled repeated theft and prison misappropriation contained in the temple’s donation-counting room.

Dr Mishra’s resignation from the belief was accepted at its assembly held in Ayodhya on Monday, days after the SIT submitted its report.

The report fashioned the idea for registration of an FIR, following which eight individuals have been arrested. Whereas six counting personnel have been recognized as immediately concerned within the alleged theft of money donations, the SIT individually examined the function of senior belief functionaries answerable for supervising the whole counting course of.

In keeping with the report, Dr Mishra was one of many belief representatives entrusted with overseeing monetary administration and donation-counting operations. He collectively ready and signed the detailed cash-handling SOP with the then State Financial institution of India (SBI), Ayodhya department supervisor Govind Mishra after the belief and the financial institution executed an MoU governing administration of temple donations.

The SOP, finalised on February 6, 2025, prescribed an elaborate safety structure to forestall theft. Amongst its most important safeguards was obligatory frisking of each particular person coming into and leaving the counting room. The protocol additionally mandated biometric attendance, pocketless uniforms, prohibition on carrying private belongings, denomination-wise documentation, donation box-wise counting, machine counting, CCTV monitoring and every day reporting.

In keeping with the SIT, duty for guaranteeing transparency and integrity of the counting course of rested with the belief. The investigation says that regardless of being one of many principal architects of the SOP, Dr Mishra failed to make sure the safeguards have been applied on the bottom. The report identifies the failure to implement frisking as one of many gravest lapses.

In keeping with the SIT, Dr Mishra had acquired info by way of inner channels that obligatory frisking of counting personnel whereas coming into and exiting the counting room was not being carried out. Regardless of being conscious of the violation, investigators say he didn’t challenge any efficient written instructions to make sure compliance with the obligatory safety measure.

The SIT additional alleges that no significant corrective intervention adopted despite the fact that different key safeguards—together with biometric attendance, obligatory uniforms, restrictions on private belongings contained in the counting room, denomination-wise accounting and every day reporting—have been additionally allegedly not being enforced.

Investigators additionally questioned a major change launched within the February 6, 2025 SOP.

The report notes that whereas the sooner system required obligatory frisking of each particular person coming into or exiting the counting room, the revised SOP diluted the availability by changing obligatory checks with “common/random” frisking. The SIT held Dr Mishra answerable for this rest, including that even the diluted provision was not applied in observe.

“It was his duty to make sure steady monitoring of the SOP issued beneath his supervision,” the report says in substance, concluding that the absence of sustained supervision and corrective motion allowed repeated violations of prescribed safeguards.

The SIT additional observes that because the belief’s consultant in drafting the SOP with SBI, Dr Mishra was anticipated to constantly confirm whether or not each authorized safeguard was being adopted. As a substitute, it alleges that supervisory oversight remained ineffective regardless of information of repeated procedural violations.

The report additionally scrutinises appointments made for the delicate cash-counting train.

In keeping with the SIT, Subhash Srivastava was appointed counting in-charge on Dr Mishra’s advice. Investigators say Srivastava was answerable for imposing frisking, sustaining self-discipline and guaranteeing compliance with all safety protocols contained in the counting room. Nevertheless, the SIT identifies his failure to make sure obligatory frisking as probably the most critical operational lapse regardless of repeated thefts allegedly happening.

The investigation additional alleges that Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu facilitated the appointment of his relative Manish Kumar Yadav as a counting employee by way of SBI worker Ratnesh Chaturvedi. CCTV footage allegedly captured Manish concealing or eradicating donation money from Might 11, 2026, onwards.

In keeping with the SIT, all six individuals recognized as prima facie concerned in allegedly stealing money have been deployed by way of SBI’s contractual company, Sainik Safety Providers, on the suggestions of Belief office-bearers, a observe the investigators say ran opposite to the spirit of the SOP.

The report additionally states that inner audit stories from 2022-23 to 2025-26 had repeatedly flagged weaknesses in donation administration, together with poor documentation, insufficient CCTV protection throughout switch of donations, failure to challenge receipts for donated articles and insufficient preservation of CCTV footage. Regardless of repeated audit observations, the deficiencies allegedly remained unaddressed.

Investigators say CCTV footage examined throughout the probe captured practically 70 cases through which counting personnel allegedly hid or eliminated bundles of foreign money or unfastened money. The SIT concludes that these repeated acts turned doable as a result of obligatory safeguards—together with frisking—remained largely confined to written procedures and weren’t successfully enforced.

Whereas recommending prison proceedings towards the six individuals allegedly seen dealing with and concealing money, the SIT clarifies that its findings towards Dr Anil Mishra relate to supervisory accountability and his alleged failure to make sure implementation of obligatory safety protocols. It emphasises that the findings are a part of a preliminary investigation and that questions referring to institutional, administrative and supervisory duty will likely be examined additional within the closing report.