The inquiry panel, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, identified negligence in cash counting procedures, security arrangements and employee verification systems. The report recommends registration of criminal cases to facilitate theft investigations, asset examinations and mapping of networks involved. It states that no individual has been cleared at this stage of the investigation.
The preliminary findings cite several alarming examples. Investigators recorded the recovery of ₹10 lakh hidden beneath cow dung, noted instances of tampered surveillance cameras and highlighted missing records related to gold and silver donations. Among the most significant concerns was the absence of any receipt or documented record for 200 silver bricks donated in 2021.
The Special Investigation Team has also urged major administrative reforms within the trust, including the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer to strengthen oversight and institutional accountability. The recommendations aim to address systemic weaknesses that investigators believe contributed to the lapses identified in the report.
Trust leaders have acknowledged shortcomings in supervision while opposition parties have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The revelations have also triggered concerns among devotees, who fear that assets donated in faith may have been misappropriated.
The findings of the Special Investigation Team have intensified scrutiny over the management of one of the country's most prominent religious institutions. With criminal proceedings recommended and no one exonerated, the report marks a significant development that could reshape the administration and accountability framework of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
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