- The SIT probing Ayodhya Ram Temple offerings theft will submit its final report
- Report cites negligence and weak oversight by the temple trust officials
- Rule changes and lax recruitment practices allegedly aided the theft
The special investigation team (SIT) that is looking into the theft of offerings from the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya is ready with the final report and is expected to give it to the government today, sources said.
The SIT's findings are expected to open the path for sweeping changes in the temple's administration and donation-counting system.
The report identified negligence and a lack of oversight on the part of the Ram Temple trust's former general secretary, Champat Rai, without explicitly naming him.
However, Anil Mishra has been identified as the one who was mainly responsible for changes in rules. These include tweaks to standard operating procedures (SOP) finalised with the bank and relaxation of rules, all of them key reasons that enabled the theft, sources said.
The police investigation into this case will continue in parallel with the report's submission.
A disregard for regulations during the recruitment process was also cited as a major factor contributing to the theft. SIT sources said the recruitments were done based on the recommendations of the trust's officials. In addition to this, the offerings were counted by outsourced housekeeping staff.
All these factors created a lax system and weak oversight, which gave thieves an opportunity to strike, sources said.
The three-member SIT was formed by the UP government on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. It got 15 days to complete its investigation, and an extension by another 15 days on July 1.
The final report's recommendations are expected to be discussed in detail by the temple trust and could form the basis for major reforms in the management of the Ram Temple and the system for counting and handling donations. The trust is scheduled to meet in Ayodhya on July 22.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the state government is waiting for the SIT's findings and will take strict action against all those found guilty.
A preliminary nine-page report submitted by the SIT to the government on June 23 had triggered a series of actions in the case, including the filing of a first information report (FIR), the arrest of key accused, and the resignation of temple trust officials.
Champat Rai has said in a letter that he would break his silence only after the SIT submitted its final report. In the same letter, he also questioned how the confidential preliminary SIT report had found its way into the public.
The probe even reached the Supreme Court. On July 13, the Supreme Court directed the SIT to submit a status report on its investigation while issuing notice to the Ram Temple trust on petitions seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged donation embezzlement.
