The ongoing investigation into alleged embezzlement of donation funds at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has hit a hurdle, as limited retention of CCTV footage is posing challenges for the Special Investigation Team (SIT), sources said.
According to investigators, footage from cameras installed at the temple premises is stored for only 45 days before being automatically deleted. The three-member SIT, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, is probing allegations of theft and misappropriation of donations.
Investigators have also found indications of possible tampering with CCTV footage and are attempting to recover deleted or altered data through forensic analysis. “The SIT will try to retrieve as much old footage as possible. Even if footage is deleted, technical traces may still exist,” a source said.
Officials further noted that several contradictions have emerged in the testimonies of temple staff, which are currently being examined as part of the probe.
The controversy erupted after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that large amounts of donation money had gone missing from the temple. However, the temple trust has maintained that internal audits are underway and no evidence of wrongdoing has been found so far.
Amid the ongoing row, a Lucknow-based jeweller has raised fresh concerns regarding donations made in silver. Anurag Rastogi, north India head of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), claimed he is unaware of the current status of a three-kg silver lamp he had donated anonymously to the temple.
Rastogi also stated that he could not trace the silver weighing 39.26 kg donated by the association ahead of the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony held on August 5, 2020. “On behalf of my family, I offered a three-kg silver lamp as a ‘gupt daan’. Additionally, as IBJA’s north India head, we contributed 30 pieces of silver items weighing 34.64 kg and four silver bricks weighing 4.62 kg,” he said.
He detailed that the silver items were converted into bricks with 99.99 per cent purity and handed over to temple authorities, including trust member Anil Mishra and then cashier Prakash Gupta, with proper documentation. While receipts were issued for most donations, he did not receive one for the silver lamp.
Rastogi further mentioned subsequent contributions, including a silver ‘kalash’ weighing 1.65 kg and an additional 22.5 kg of silver donated by jewellers in Ghaziabad.
Despite raising concerns about the whereabouts of the donated silver, Rastogi said he continues to have faith in the temple trust. “I believe any wrongdoing, if at all, may have been done by some individuals to defame the trust. I have no allegations against its leadership,” he said, adding that he is willing to cooperate with the SIT if required.
The jeweller also expressed concern about whether the donated silver was used during the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony, noting that it was not visibly utilised at the event.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged all parties to refrain from making baseless allegations that could hurt the sentiments of devotees. He called on anyone with evidence to present it before the SIT and assured strict action against those found guilty.
“At the trust’s request, we have ordered an SIT investigation. This probe will bring out the absolute truth. Anyone found guilty will not be spared,” the Chief Minister said.
The Uttar Pradesh government ordered the SIT probe on June 13 after the temple trust sought an investigation into the allegations. The issue first came to light on June 7 when Akhilesh Yadav cited reports claiming that crores of rupees in donations were missing and urged judicial intervention.
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