Two-layer security, mandatory frisking: Ram Temple tightens donation counting rules

The theft of donations at Ayodhya's Ram Temple has turned one of the shrine's most routine administrative exercises into a tightly guarded operation. Weeks after the embezzlement came to light, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple administration has overhauled the donation-counting process, introducing a two-layer security system, mandatory frisking of employees and enhanced security deployment to safeguard devotees' offerings.

Under the revised protocol, access to the donation counting room has been tightened and the handling of donations placed under enhanced security measures. The new guidelines include:

• Donation counting is now conducted under a two-layer security system, with police personnel and private security agency SIS staff jointly overseeing the process.
• The entrance to the counting room, located in the basement of the Pilgrim Facilitation Centre, is jointly guarded by police and SIS personnel, and employees are allowed entry only after two levels of security screening.
• Employees undergo mandatory frisking before leaving the counting room, and no personal belongings or any other material are permitted inside.
• More than six security personnel remain deployed during each shift, while around 23 employees are engaged in the donation counting process.
• After each counting session, the donation counting room is sealed and employees are allowed to leave only after it is locked.
• The temple administration has issued strict guidelines to ensure accurate counting, secure handling of donations and timely sealing of the counting room.

The tighter security measures come as the investigation into the embezzlement continues. The theft of temple donations came to light on June 7, following which the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Based on the SIT's preliminary report, an FIR was registered on June 25 and the investigation remains underway.

The case has also triggered a political storm. Last week, the Congress demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial enquiry and a forensic audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the SIT's preliminary report found 70 instances of theft from the temple's donation counting room between April 27 and June 5, questioned why only lower-level functionaries had been held accountable despite eight arrests, and sought a restructuring of the Trust.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav described the embezzlement as "an attack on the faith of Hindus" and said the matter should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

Amid the political row, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the theft had "deeply hurt" the sentiments of society and called for stringent punishment for anyone found guilty. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also endorsed Hosabale's remarks.

The eight accused named in the SIT report, which formed the basis of the FIR and subsequent arrests, are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu.

All the accused were produced before Special Judge (Anti-Corruption) Rajat Verma on June 29 and remanded to two weeks of judicial custody after the police did not seek their custodial interrogation, according to Special Public Prosecutor Umesh Dubey.

The theft of donations at Ayodhya's Ram Temple has turned one of the shrine's most routine administrative exercises into a tightly guarded operation. Weeks after the embezzlement came to light, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple administration has overhauled the donation-counting process, introducing a two-layer security system, mandatory frisking of employees and enhanced security deployment to safeguard devotees' offerings.

Under the revised protocol, access to the donation counting room has been tightened and the handling of donations placed under enhanced security measures. The new guidelines include:

• Donation counting is now conducted under a two-layer security system, with police personnel and private security agency SIS staff jointly overseeing the process.
• The entrance to the counting room, located in the basement of the Pilgrim Facilitation Centre, is jointly guarded by police and SIS personnel, and employees are allowed entry only after two levels of security screening.
• Employees undergo mandatory frisking before leaving the counting room, and no personal belongings or any other material are permitted inside.
• More than six security personnel remain deployed during each shift, while around 23 employees are engaged in the donation counting process.
• After each counting session, the donation counting room is sealed and employees are allowed to leave only after it is locked.
• The temple administration has issued strict guidelines to ensure accurate counting, secure handling of donations and timely sealing of the counting room.

The tighter security measures come as the investigation into the embezzlement continues. The theft of temple donations came to light on June 7, following which the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Based on the SIT's preliminary report, an FIR was registered on June 25 and the investigation remains underway.

The case has also triggered a political storm. Last week, the Congress demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial enquiry and a forensic audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the SIT's preliminary report found 70 instances of theft from the temple's donation counting room between April 27 and June 5, questioned why only lower-level functionaries had been held accountable despite eight arrests, and sought a restructuring of the Trust.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav described the embezzlement as "an attack on the faith of Hindus" and said the matter should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

Amid the political row, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the theft had "deeply hurt" the sentiments of society and called for stringent punishment for anyone found guilty. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also endorsed Hosabale's remarks.

The eight accused named in the SIT report, which formed the basis of the FIR and subsequent arrests, are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu.

All the accused were produced before Special Judge (Anti-Corruption) Rajat Verma on June 29 and remanded to two weeks of judicial custody after the police did not seek their custodial interrogation, according to Special Public Prosecutor Umesh Dubey.