Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Reviews 105 Donation-Theft Cases at Ayodhya Ram Temple
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Supreme Court Hearing on the Donation-Theft Probe
On September 21, 2026 a bench of the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, examined a status report from the Uttar Pradesh government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir. The report identified 105 distinct instances of unauthorised removal of cash and valuables, captured on temple CCTV. The court was told that a chargesheet must be filed on or before September 25, 2026, the expiry of the statutory 90-day period that began with the first arrest.
Background & Context
The controversy emerged on June 7, 2026 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged siphoning of donations worth INR5–7.5 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member SIT on June 13, headed by Vijay Vishwas Pant, which submitted a preliminary report on June 23. After the Supreme Court’s intervention, a four-member SIT was constituted on July 27, led by IGP Kiran S.
Key Figures & Groups
- Surya Kant – Chief Justice, bench chair.
- Tushar Mehta – Solicitor General, Uttar Pradesh.
- Vijay Vishwas Pant – Head of the original SIT.
- Kiran S – IGP, head of the reconstituted SIT.
- Jitendra Mishra – Retired Air Marshal, CEO of the Ram Mandir Trust.
- Eight accused – Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu.
Timeline
- June 7 – Allegations announced.
- June 13 – SIT (Pant) constituted.
- June 23 – Preliminary report submitted.
- June 25 – FIR lodged; eight arrests.
- July 13 – Supreme Court directed status report.
- July 27 – Four-member SIT noted.
- September 16 – Report indicating 105 theft instances filed.
- September 21 – Supreme Court hearing; chargesheet deadline set.
Data & Statistics
- 105 theft instances identified via CCTV.
- Eight arrests of temple-donation staff.
- INR79,85,493 recovered from the accused.
- 90-day statutory period ends on September 25, 2026, after which default bail becomes available.
Official Statements & Responses
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the investigation was “substantially concluded” and that the SIT possessed extensive documentary and electronic evidence. He stressed filing the chargesheet before the deadline to prevent default bail. The bench noted reliance on CCTV footage, forensic examinations and audit trails, but declined to release the full report, saying it would not intervene in the Sessions Court’s jurisdiction. It also directed the state to file a copy of the chargesheet in the apex court.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ninety days from the date of the first arrest are going to be over on September 25, so we will have to file the chargesheet, otherwise, they (the accused) will get default bail,” — Solicitor General Tushar Mehta
- “The State requires to be transparent,” — Mr. Jandhyala, senior advocate
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Two sources differ on the number of theft instances recorded in earlier SIT findings: an interim report cited 70 instances, while the latest status report lists 105 instances. The precise method by which donations were diverted before reaching the State Bank of India locker remains described only in general terms.
What’s Next
The SIT must submit its chargesheet by September 25, 2026. The Supreme Court may issue further directions based on that filing, while separate petitions continue to seek a CBI-led probe and a forensic audit of the Ram Mandir Trust’s finances.