A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant examined a status report from the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) that identified 105 instances of unauthorized currency removal captured on CCTV in the Ram Temple donation misappropriation case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state, noted the probe was “substantially concluded” and a chargesheet would be filed before the Additional Sessions Judge by September 25, 2026, as the 90‑day statutory investigation period nears its end. The report lists eight accused persons, details of their repeated misappropriation, and tabulates unexplained deposits and assets where stolen money was invested. It also estimates the amount misappropriated by each individual and indicates that the theft likely occurred in the counting room during currency handling.
The SIT verified receipts generated by TCS software for 803 valuable articles, all of which were found in the Temple Trust’s State Bank of India locker. No discrepancies were found for these items, though 86 articles lacked receipts and were physically verified. Records of about 944.411 kg of silver were sent to the Security Printing and Minting Corporation for melting, and allegations of specific donations such as silver bricks and a silver necklace were examined with no inconsistencies identified.
The report recorded statements from 173 witnesses and reviewed standard operating procedures, security arrangements, CCTV footage, and reconciliation records. The bench emphasized transparency, instructed the state to file a copy of the chargesheet with the apex court, and scheduled the next hearing for November 2. The SIT, led by Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant with two other members, was constituted on June 13 following the Trust’s request before the Supreme Court’s intervention.“}
