SIT Finds No Discrepancies in Ram Temple Silver Donations, Supreme Court Told

The Special Investigation Team probing alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has told the Supreme Court that it found no discrepancies in the handling of several high-value offerings, including 200 kg of silver bricks, a further 38.288 kg of silver bricks, a silver necklace, Charan Paduka and a donation linked to the Ramcharitmanas.

In a status report dated September 16, 2026, the SIT — headed by Uttar Pradesh Inspector General of Police Kiran S — said it had duly verified the specific allegations about valuable donations that had circulated in the media and on social media. The individuals involved were interviewed and the relevant materials examined, and no discrepancies emerged from that exercise, the report said.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, perused the contents of the report.

According to the report, receipts generated by TCS software for 803 valuable articles were verified and the corresponding records were found to be with the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Those articles are stored in a State Bank of India locker, which was physically checked. No discrepancies were found in respect of these 803 articles. A separate set of 86 valuable articles, for which receipts were not issued, was identified and physically verified.

The report also stated that records relating to approximately 944.411 kg of white metal, understood to be silver, were sent by the Trust to the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited for melting. The report on this white metal was examined and the relevant records scrutinised.

On the alleged theft of currency, the SIT said CCTV footage from the counting room in the Pilgrim Facility Centre building at the temple, along with other digital data, revealed 105 instances of unauthorised removal or concealment of currency from the counting room, involving assistance from other individuals taking part in the counting process.

Eight accused persons have been identified. The report presented a tabulated summary of unexplained deposits in their accounts and information about the movable and immovable assets in which the stolen money was invested. It further set out the estimated amount misappropriated by each accused and noted that existing evidence suggests the suspected misappropriation took place within the counting room during the counting and handling of currency.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that the SIT intends to file a chargesheet on or before September 25, 2026, before the completion of 90 days from the date of the first arrest. He noted that the 90-day period ends on September 25 and that a chargesheet must be filed to prevent the accused from securing bail.

The SIT was constituted on the Supreme Court's direction after some petitioners sought an independent probe, and a forensic auditor was included following a direction from the court. The investigation has proceeded simultaneously on multiple aspects, including identifying suspected acts of misappropriation, examining the persons involved, tracing suspected proceeds, conducting financial and property investigations, examining electronic evidence, verifying valuable articles and reconciling donation and banking records.

Statements of 173 witnesses had been recorded as of September 14, 2026, including trust functionaries, accounting personnel, banking officials, security personnel and chartered accountants.

Two SITs were formed in the matter — one by the Uttar Pradesh government and another on the orders of the Supreme Court in July. The latter is currently probing the case. While some petitioners contended that the investigation would not be proper with the current Trust in place and urged the court to dissolve it, the bench observed that the SIT is not under the Trust but is constituted by, accountable to and answerable to the court.