LUCKNOW, July 7 -- The Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has expanded its probe beyond cash transactions to include gold and silver ornaments offered by devotees, after several donors alleged that jewellery donated at the shrine had also gone missing.

According to people familiar with the investigation, the three-member SIT is attempting to verify the complete trail of jewellery donations from the time they were received at the temple until their alleged conversion into bullion. However, investigators are reportedly struggling to obtain complete documentary records relating to the receipt, storage, transportation and melting of ...