Ram Temple case: No discrepancies in silver bricks donation handling, SIT tells Supreme Court

‘Theft’ at Ram temple: Chargesheet on or before Sept 26, Solicitor general informs Supreme Court.

The SIT, probing into alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, found ”no discrepancies” in the handling of the “200 kg of silver bricks, 38.288 kg of silver bricks, a silver necklace, Charan Paduka, and a donation related to the Ramcharitmanas” received as donation by the temple administration, according to the Supreme Court order on Monday.

In a status report, dated September 16, 2026, the SIT, headed by UP IGP Kiran S, said it had “duly verified” the “particular allegations regarding valuable donations reported in the media and on social media” about these donations, it said. “The involved individuals have been interviewed, and the pertinent materials have been examined by them. No discrepancies were identified during this verification process,” it said, according to the order.

The contents of the report were perused by a three-judge SC bench, presided by CJI Surya Kant, and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana. According to the order, “the report discloses that the receipts generated by the TCS software for 803 valuable articles have been verified, and their relevant records have been found to be with the Trust. These articles are stored in a State Bank of India locker, which was physically checked. In so far as these 803 articles are concerned, no discrepancies were found during the verification.”

It added that “there are 86 valuable articles in respect of which receipts have not been issued. These articles have been separately identified and physically verified.”

Air Marshal (retd) Jeetendra Mishra (left) takes charge as the CEO of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya, Monday. (ANI)

The report also said that “records relating to approximately 944.411 kg of white metal (supposed to be silver) have been sent by the (Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra) Trust to Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited for melting. The report pertaining to the said white metal has also been examined, and the relevant records scrutinised”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, submitted before the bench that the “SIT is inclined to file the chargesheet on or before 25.09.2026, i.e., before completion of 90 days from the date of the first arrest.” “Ninety days are going to be over on September 25. So we will have to file a chargesheet. Otherwise they will get bail,” Mehta informed the bench.

The SIT report pointed out that CCTV footage from the counting room situated in the Pilgrim Facility Centre (PFC) building at the temple and other digital data “has revealed 105 instances of unauthorised currency removal or concealment from the counting room, involving assistance from other individuals participating in the counting process”.

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Eight accused persons have been identified, it said and presented a “tabulated summary of the unexplained deposits in their accounts and information about the immovable and movable assets where the stolen money was invested”.

“The status report further emphasises the estimated amount misappropriated by each accused individual, also noting that existing evidence suggests the suspected misappropriation of currency took place within the counting room during the process of counting and handling the currency,” the SC order said.

The SIT was formed on SC’s order after some petitioners sought an independent probe. The report said that a forensic auditor was included following SC’s direction.

It said, “The investigation has proceeded simultaneously on multiple aspects, including identification of the suspected acts of misappropriation, identification and examination of the persons involved, tracing of the suspected proceeds thereof, financial and property investigation, examination of electronic evidence, verification of valuable articles and reconciliation of the relevant donation and banking records.”

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The status report pointed out that “the statements of 173 witnesses have been recorded as of 14.09.2026”, including trust functionaries, accounting personnel, banking officials, security personnel and Chartered Accountants.

Two SITs were formed — first by the UP government and another on the orders of the Supreme Court in July — this SIT is currently probing the case. Though some of the petitioners contended that the investigation will not be proper with the current Trust in place and urged the court to dissolve it, the bench pointed out that the “SIT is not under the Trust but constituted by and accountable and answerable to the court”

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 26 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with the daily newspaper, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More