Ram Temple donation theft case: SIT report sent to PMO; Akhilesh questions delay in FIR registration

Even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) by the Uttar Pradesh government, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav questioned the BJP government over the delay in registering an FIR against those found guilty.

Akhilesh Yadav said the SIT had submitted its preliminary report, but no FIR had been registered in the case so far.

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Taking a sarcastic dig, he remarked that it appeared “SIT” stood for “Share in Theft”.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav said millions of devotees had visited the Ram Temple and made donations and offerings.

“Even if we assume a donation of Rs 10 crore from each Lok Sabha constituency in the state, an offering of Rs 800 crore has been made to Lord Shri Ram. People also make anonymous donations. Now, if those making anonymous donations speak out, the ED and CBI will reach their homes,” he said.

On the allegations of a land scam in Madhya Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav said the “two engines of power are clashing”, which is why such issues are coming to light.

Regarding the BJP’s alleged efforts to poach MPs from other parties, he said the party was gathering MPs because it wanted to change the Constitution. He alleged that the BJP was taking away the rights of the tribal community.

Akhilesh said that if a Samajwadi Party government is formed in Uttar Pradesh, the tribal community will have full rights over water, forests, and land.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had posted on X that an SIT without an FIR was like “a bow without an arrow”. He also referred to reports of the disappearance of donated Kagbhusundi idols and raised questions over the investigation.

“With new instances of theft involving offerings and donations coming to light every day and growing anger among Sanatani devotees, Nepal and other borders should be sealed to prevent the accused from escaping. What will the SIT investigation achieve while revelations are still emerging, especially if it appears to be more of a cover-up or distribution exercise than an investigation?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, the SIT report submitted to the state government has been forwarded to the PMO.

The Uttar Pradesh government constituted the SIT on June 13 to investigate the alleged irregularities related to Ram Temple offerings. The team includes Lucknow Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant (IAS), IG Lucknow Range Kiran Shivkumar, and Special Secretary (Finance) of the Uttar Pradesh Finance and Accounts Service, Neelratan Kumar.

The SIT submitted its investigation report to Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Prasad on Tuesday.

According to sources, the report recommends registration of an FIR and reconstitution of the trust. It also suggests appointing a senior government officer as the temple’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The team stated that the 20-page preliminary report contains details of interviews with around 150 people. The SIT has also recommended an audit of donations received over the past five years and suggested measures to prevent irregularities in the management of offerings.

The SIT has raised questions over the role of trust officials. According to sources, the state government’s report has been received by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).