Ayodhya Donation Theft Case: SIT Final Report Submitted to Ram Temple Trust

The Uttar Pradesh Home Department has officially handed over the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) final report in the Ayodhya Ram temple donation theft case to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, enabling the trust to take further action, an official statement said on Monday.

The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted by the state government on June 13 at the request of the Trust, before the Supreme Court intervened in the matter. The other members of the panel are Range Inspector General Kiran S. and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan Kumar.

The panel had submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23, making several stringent recommendations. Based on this preliminary report, Trust member Krishnamohan filed a written complaint at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station, following which an FIR was registered in the case on June 25.

The FIR named eight individuals — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu — along with other unidentified persons as accused. They have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The preliminary report had formed the basis for the subsequent FIR and arrest-related actions in the case. The final report, now with the Trust, is expected to guide further legal proceedings.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, established by the Government of India, oversees the construction and management of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The case pertains to alleged misappropriation of donations collected for the temple, a matter of significant public interest given the temple's cultural and religious importance.

The state government's decision to hand over the report to the Trust rather than filing a chargesheet directly suggests that the Trust will now review the findings and decide on the next steps, including possibly filing a chargesheet or pursuing additional investigations.

The Supreme Court's earlier intervention indicates the legal sensitivity of the case, and the final report is likely to be scrutinised closely by all parties involved. The Trust has not yet issued a public statement on the report's contents or the action it plans to take.

This development marks a key stage in the investigation, which has been closely followed by devotees and the public. The authorities have assured that the legal process will proceed according to the law, ensuring accountability and transparency.