Chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee Nripendra Mishra on Sunday welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of irregularities in donations made to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, saying the swift action reflected the administration’s seriousness.
Mishra said the SIT was formed within 24 hours of the allegations surfacing and that senior officers had been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure a time-bound inquiry into the matter.
“The most praiseworthy aspect is that the state government acted in less than 24 hours to constitute the SIT and appointed very senior officers to it. We should support the initiative, given the speed at which the state government is acting...setting a timeframe of just 15 days,” he said while speaking to reporters.
Highlighting the timeline set for the investigation, Mishra noted that the committee has been asked to submit a preliminary report within seven days, followed by a detailed assessment of the issues flagged.
“A preliminary report is due in seven days...the committee will make recommendations regarding any pending issues, identified shortcomings, and the necessary remedial measures,” he added.
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The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three-member SIT comprising senior officials, including Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow; Kiran S, IPS, Inspector General of Police (Range); and Neel Ratan, Special Secretary, Finance.
The committee has been directed to submit both preliminary and final reports at the earliest.
The controversy emerged after allegations by Samajwadi Party leader Pawan Pandey, former MLA from Ayodhya, who claimed that between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore in donations had been misappropriated.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also alleged that large sums of temple donations had gone missing and demanded a judicial probe, alleging silence from the state government was suspicious.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also criticised both the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged irregularities.
However, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has rejected the allegations. General Secretary Champat Rai and member Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj have maintained that all donations are properly recorded and transparently processed.
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