New Delhi, June 22:
The SIT probing the alleged embezzlement of funds in the Ram Temple here has instructed its trust and temple functionaries not to leave Ayodhya, according to temple sources who claimed that investigators found discrepancies in documentation of offerings like gold, silver and precious stones.
The instruction by the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was issued before they left for Lucknow on Sunday.
The sources said one of the key findings of the SIT pertains to the records of gold and silver jewellery and other precious stones, including diamonds, offered by devotees to Lord Ram. According to them, investigators found discrepancies in the documentation and accounting of such offerings.
During the course of questioning, several office-bearers of the temple trust were unable to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the inventory, storage and accounting of gold, silver ornaments and other valuable items received as offerings, the sources claimed.
They alleged that major irregularities may have occurred during the Maha Kumbh Mela period in January-February of 2025, when the temple witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees.