Lucknow: The three-member Special Investigation Team will soon begin the second phase of investigation into the donation theft at Ram temple.The SIT, which submitted its 50-page preliminary report to additional chief secretary, home, Sanjay Prasad, earlier this week, is expected to visit Ayodhya in the coming days to carry out detailed field verification. The move follows the SIT’s initial findings that led to the arrest of eight accused and recommended stringent action against those involved.Sources said the second phase will focus on reconstructing the entire chain of donation handling — from collection to final deposition — and working on the gaps that may have enabled the alleged embezzlement of funds.The team will record fresh statements of temple staff, volunteers engaged in donation collection, counting personnel, and those responsible for transportation and deposit of offerings.Investigators are likely to visit key locations linked to the process, including donation counters, storage points, counting centres and designated bank deposit nodes.CCTV footage from these sites, along with digital transaction records, registers and reconciliation logs, will be cross-verified with oral testimonies to detect inconsistencies.“The focus has now shifted from merely detecting the alleged siphoning to fixing individual accountability and understanding whether the act was a result of a coordinated conspiracy or systemic lapses,” a source said. Sources indicated that the SIT will also examine adherence to standard operating procedures laid down by the trust for handling large volumes of cash and offerings received daily from devotees.The team is expected to question not only those directly named in the FIR but also supervisory officials, contractual staff and intermediaries who may have had access to donation management systems. Residences of some suspects may also be visited as part of the effort to gather corroborative evidence and track financial trails, sources added.Sources said SIT will analyse bank deposits vis-à-vis recorded collections, look for mismatches in timing, amount and authorisation.Financial experts in the SIT are examining whether forged entries, delayed deposits or diversion during transit formed part of the alleged modus operandi.The preliminary findings flagged “serious irregularities” in handling of donations, prompting the SIT to recommend immediate arrests to prevent tampering of evidence. With eight arrests already made, investigators believe more persons could come under the scanner as the probe deepens.The SIT was constituted on June 13 on the direction of CM Yogi Adityanath. It is headed by Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, with Lucknow Range IG Kiran S and finance department Special Secretary Neelratan Kumar as members, ensuring both administrative and financial scrutiny.Sources said the SIT’s next Ayodhya visit will span several days, after which it will consolidate findings into a comprehensive report. The final report is expected within two weeks of completion of the field probe and could pave the way for further arrests, departmental action, and tightening of financial protocols in donation management.
