Ram Temple ‘theft’: Probe shows pilferage surged as footfall rose during Maha Kumbh

The ongoing investigation into the alleged theft of donated money at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has revealed that while small instances of pilferage were overlooked earlier, the operation became more organised during the Maha Kumbh last year when footfall and donations surged and more hands were added to the cash-counting process, highly placed sources in the temple administration and police have told The Indian Express.

Sources said that on any given day, the average footfall at the temple is between 84,000 and 1 lakh. During the 45-day festival in 2025, which began on January 13 and ended on February 26, it had increased up to 10 to 12 lakh on peak days.

Sources said extra staff were added to the cash-counting process on the recommendation of members of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to assist the State Bank of India.

An official at the temple, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “After the initial influx of pilgrims following the consecration ceremony (in 2024), it was during Maha Kumbh that footfall increased drastically and so did donations. Counting needed more assistance, and recommendations were made to provide local employment. But hiring was done by the firm for SBI. Everything was built on trust and faith and no one expected things to become so organised,” said an official.

The Sainik Security Services was hired by SBI for security and manpower to manage the counting of donated money and its dispatch to the bank branch. On Thursday, Gaurav Singh, director of Sainik Security Services, said his agency provides housekeeping staff to banks and other firms.

“We don’t provide banking-related manpower, but housekeeping staff. What a bank or firm uses the staff for is up to them,” Singh said. He said that in the hiring for the Ram temple, the agency did not have the freedom to choose manpower.

“In this case, SBI gave us names of the people to be hired. We verified their credentials by examining their Aadhaar cards and processed the paperwork. These men have never worked with us earlier,” Singh said, adding that documentary evidence to the effect had been provided to the Special Investigation Team probing the case.

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According to sources, the matter became public following infighting between two members associated with the Trust over recruitment and alleged pilferage.

A police officer told The Indian Express, “It was not the first time that the pilferage had come to the knowledge of temple officials. It had long gone unchecked and ignored until recently, when a series of events led to revelations one after another.”

Sources said there were initial attempts to contain the matter by asking those allegedly caught to deposit the money back into the accounts.

Sources said there were two CCTV control rooms, one monitored by the police and another at the cash counting centre, staffed by Trust officials and police.

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Investigators are now looking into the role of police and SBI officials as well, maintaining that such organised pilferage could not have been possible at just one level.

Officials said in addition to heavy security deployment – 8 companies of PAC, 500 CRPF personnel, 750 Uttar Pradesh Police Special Security Force personnel and civil police – the Trust hired private security which was stationed outside the cash counting room.

“Considering the extent of cash handled at the counting room, security checks were certainly insufficient,” an official said.

Police had earlier said around Rs 80 lakh was recovered from seven of the eight arrested accused. Foreign currency in different denominations have also been recovered.

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Sources said the number of devotees at the temple has remained broadly unchanged since the FIR was lodged on June 25. According to official data, the estimated footfall stood at 97,134 on June 27, 1,02,672 on June 28, and 84,102 on June 29, followed by 96,112 on June 30 and 89,653 on July 1.