Overview
- A three‑member Special Investigation Team set up by the Uttar Pradesh government after the trust's request carried out a six‑day on‑site probe and is reported to have handed an initial report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday.
- Investigators questioned about 150 people, told those already questioned not to leave Ayodhya, and identified roughly 25 individuals for possible action while recovering about ₹2 crore from disclosures by counting staff.
- The SIT documented specific lapses in donation management, including weak checks during cash counting, use of outsourced bank counting teams hired through local recommendations, inadequate frisking of staff, limited CCTV retention and signs of possible footage tampering.
- The scope of the inquiry widened to valuables and purchases, with investigators flagging discrepancies in records for gold, silver and diamonds and scrutiny of the trust’s land buys that reporters say included 71 acres bought at sharply inflated rates.
- The team proposed operational reforms such as videographing cash removal, longer CCTV retention, pocketless dress rules for counters, weekly audits and appointing a professional administrative CEO while courts consider petitions seeking independent central probes.