UP govt reconstitutes SIT in Ram temple donation ‘theft’ case after Supreme Court order

In compliance with directives from the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh government has reformed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with probing the alleged theft of cash donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The reconstituted SIT will be led by Kiran S, the inspector general of the Lucknow range, and will consist of three members. This move follows the Supreme Court's July 20 order, which urged the state government to place the ongoing police investigation under the oversight of the original three-member SIT that had uncovered preliminary evidence of fraud.

The new panel replaces the previous SIT, which was headed by Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant. Sources indicate that the newly formed SIT will include DIG (Ayodhya) Somen Barma and SSP (Ayodhya) Gaurav Grover as members. Although state authorities have agreed to the new panel's composition, an official notification confirming these appointments is still pending.

Kiran S, who was also part of the initial SIT, has now been entrusted with leading the criminal investigation. The SIT is expected to present its first progress report to the Supreme Court on July 27. The initial SIT was established on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Following its preliminary report submitted on June 23, Ayodhya police registered an FIR against eight individuals allegedly involved in siphoning off donations during the counting process. All eight accused have since been arrested.