The ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has revealed that 60 kg of silver bars are unaccounted for in the temple’s donation records. Reports suggest that these silver bars were originally donated during the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony and were intended for placement within the temple foundation.

Over the past six days, a special investigation team (SIT) has been working to gather documentation to ascertain the current status of the silver bars. The officials involved in the investigation have not yet established a definitive account of the offerings or determined their whereabouts.

Sources indicate that the investigators have been unable to locate any records that would indicate the receipt, storage, or allocation of the missing silver bars. This lack of documentation adds to the complexity of the situation.

Jewellers Association Affirms Contribution of Silver

The Jewellers Association, which contributed the silver bars, asserts that it has a receipt validating the transfer of these items to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Anurag Rastogi, president of the association, stated that the 60 kg of silver was sourced from jewellers nationwide specifically for donation to the temple.

Rastogi mentioned that the silver bars were not part of the rituals during the foundation-laying ceremonies or the subsequent construction activities and have since gone missing. The SIT’s efforts will focus on tracing the exact location of these bars and verifying whether they were recorded in any official inventories.

As part of the investigation, officials have interviewed various individuals, including Ramshankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, Krishnadev Tiwari, and four priests associated with Ram Lalla. Notably, Tiwari, responsible for overseeing jewellery and offerings, reportedly claimed he had no information about the missing silver bars or another necklace that is also under scrutiny.

Political Ramifications and Ongoing Inquiry

The three-member SIT team, consisting of Lucknow Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General Kiran, and Special Secretary Neelratan Kumar, has reviewed the circumstances surrounding the donations and valuable items. They have sought testimonies from priests and individuals involved in receiving and securing the offerings.

The inquiry originated from allegations that valuable donations, including gold and diamond ornaments, were allegedly substituted with counterfeits and that cash donations were misappropriated from temple collections. The controversy first gained traction on June 7, when Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, highlighted media reports and accused the temple trust of missing donations worth crores of rupees.

In response to these claims, the Uttar Pradesh government established the SIT on June 13 at the temple trust’s request. This team has also interrogated Dr Anil Mishra, a member of the trust, who is responsible for the overall management of donations, including their storage, accounting, and usage.

The allegations have sparked a political confrontation between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposing parties. In the midst of this situation, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya on Friday and supported the investigations. He stated that the SIT process aims to uncover the truth and distinguish facts from misinformation.

Adityanath also urged patience from the public, emphasising that those who had waited for 500 years for the temple’s construction could endure an additional period for the SIT to conclude its investigations, rather than risk defaming Ayodhya before the inquiry results are made known.

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