The investigation into the alleged donation theft at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has uncovered several serious procedural and security shortcomings. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the suspected financial irregularities were not caused by a single breach but by multiple failures in the temple’s cash-handling and monitoring systems.
The probe suggests that weak financial controls, inadequate security checks, and poor documentation may have created opportunities for the alleged misappropriation of donation funds over an extended period.
No Security Checks for Staff Entering the Cash Counting Hall
One of the key findings of the SIT was the absence of routine frisking for employees responsible for handling donations.
Investigators found that staff members were allowed to enter and leave the cash-counting area without undergoing security checks, increasing the possibility of cash being removed without detection.
Lack of Pocketless Uniforms Increased Risk
The investigation also noted that employees were not required to wear pocketless uniforms, a common security measure used in high-value cash handling environments.
According to the SIT, the absence of such a policy may have made it easier to conceal currency during the counting process.
Personal Bags Allowed Inside Counting Area
Another major lapse involved the handling of personal belongings.
Despite existing guidelines restricting personal items in sensitive areas, employees were reportedly allowed to carry bags and other belongings into the donation-counting hall. Investigators believe this significantly weakened internal security and increased the risk of unauthorised movement of cash.
Donations from Multiple Hundis Were Mixed Together
The SIT also identified serious flaws in the accounting process.
Instead of counting the money collected from each donation box (hundi) separately, officials allegedly combined cash from multiple hundis before beginning the counting process.
This practice made it impossible to verify how much money had been collected from individual donation boxes or accurately reconcile the records later.
Poor Documentation During Cash Counting
According to the investigation, proper financial documentation was largely missing.
The SIT found no detailed denomination-wise records, counting vouchers, or certification documents to confirm the amount of cash received, counted, and deposited.
Without these records, conducting a transparent audit or tracing discrepancies became extremely difficult.
Weak Attendance Monitoring of Staff
The investigation further revealed shortcomings in employee attendance records.
Biometric attendance systems for staff involved in cash counting were either inconsistently used or not properly enforced. As a result, investigators faced difficulties in identifying which employees were present during specific counting sessions.
Multiple Control Failures Created Opportunities for Irregularities
Based on its findings, the SIT concluded that the alleged financial irregularities were the result of multiple procedural failures rather than a single isolated incident.
The combination of inadequate security measures, weak financial controls, insufficient record-keeping, and poor employee monitoring significantly reduced accountability and allowed suspected discrepancies to remain undetected for a prolonged period.
Investigation Continues
The probe into the alleged Ram Temple donation theft is still underway, and investigators are continuing to examine financial records, staff responsibilities, and security protocols.
The SIT’s findings are expected to play an important role in determining accountability and may lead to stronger cash management and security procedures for handling temple donations in the future.