LUCKNOW: Taking swift action on the allegations of financial irregularities, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The high-level probe panel will be headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, a 2004-batch IAS officer. The other members of the team include Lucknow Range IG Kiran S (IPS) and Neel Ratan Kumar, Special Secretary in the Finance Department. The state government has directed the SIT to submit its preliminary inquiry report within seven days and the final investigative report within 15 days.
The controversy regarding the alleged theft from temple donation boxes came to light about a week ago, prompting the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to initially initiate an internal audit. Backed by informal support from the local police, trust officials had reportedly begun questioning key suspects and initiated measures to recover the siphoned funds. However, as public scrutiny and anger among devotees intensified across the country, the temple trust officially approached the state government seeking a formal, impartial probe, leading to the prompt formation of the SIT.
As part of the investigation, the SIT members will soon visit the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya to thoroughly examine financial ledgers and cash registers. The specialized team will also take over all the evidence and statements collected by the trust so far. The probe will meticulously evaluate the internal control mechanisms, cash handling, and storage systems used for managing daily offerings. Currently, all temple employees who were entrusted with the responsibility of handling or counting the donations are under strict administrative surveillance.
The political row erupted after Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over reports suggesting that donations worth crores of rupees had gone missing, urging the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance of the matter. Adding fuel to the political fire, former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh appeared to support the allegations, stating that he was aware of the irregularities but feared repercussions if he spoke the full truth at present. Concurrently, senior BJP leader Rajneesh Singh wrote a formal letter to the Prime Minister demanding public disclosure of the temple trust’s assets and detailed financial accounts. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Rai has also demanded an independent judicial inquiry under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge.
ലഘു വിവരണം
അയോധ്യ രാമക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ കോടിക്കണക്കിന് രൂപയുടെ കാണിക്കപ്പണം വെട്ടിച്ചെന്ന പരാതിയിൽ അന്വേഷണത്തിനായി ഉത്തർ പ്രദേശ് സർക്കാർ മൂന്നംഗ പ്രത്യേക അന്വേഷണ സംഘത്തെ (SIT) നിയോഗിച്ചു. ലക്നൗ ഡിവിഷണൽ കമ്മീഷണർ വിജയ് വിശ്വാസ് പന്തിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള സംഘത്തോട് 15 ദിവസത്തിനകം അന്തിമ റിപ്പോർട്ട് സമർപ്പിക്കാനാണ് സർക്കാർ ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത്. ക്ഷേത്ര ട്രസ്റ്റിന്റെ ആവശ്യപ്രകാരമാണ് നടപടി. കാണിക്കപ്പണം കാണാനില്ലെന്നും കോടതി സ്വമേധയാ കേസെടുക്കണമെന്നും സമാജ്വാദി പാർട്ടി അധ്യക്ഷൻ അഖിലേഷ് യാദവ് ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടതോടെയാണ് സംഭവം വിവാദമായത്.
(With inputs from MN)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com