Lucknow, July 7 -- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged theft of cash offerings at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has concluded in its preliminary findings that repeated pilferage took place inside the temple's donation counting room due to "serious supervisory failures" and systematic violations of prescribed security protocols. The preliminary SIT report, exclusively accessed by HT, was presented during a meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday. The report recommends registration of criminal cases against six cash-counting personnel while also calling for investigation into the role of supervisory officials and others responsible for enforcing security measures. According to the report, CCTV footage available between April 27 and June 5, 2026 captured around 70 instances in which cash-counting personnel were allegedly seen concealing bundles of currency notes and loose cash inside their clothes, pockets, shoes and other hidden places. The SIT said the pattern indicated that the thefts were "continuous and repeated" rather than isolated incidents. The investigators said the actual scale of the alleged embezzlement could be much larger because CCTV recordings prior to April 27 were unavailable, having been automatically overwritten due to limited storage capacity. Statements of the accused and analysis of their bank transactions suggest similar acts may have occurred even before the available footage period, the report noted. The SIT identified Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Ramashankar Mishra as the six individuals whose involvement in the alleged theft has been prima facie established through CCTV footage, recovery records and financial evidence. It alleged that while Avinash Shukla and Manish Kumar Yadav were repeatedly seen hiding cash, the remaining accused were found assisting or facilitating the thefts on multiple occasions. The report also states that before the SIT was constituted, the temple trust had recovered approximately Rs.2.79 crore, besides foreign currency, jewellery and other valuables, from persons associated with the counting process. Additionally, Rs.2.25 lakh was allegedly recovered from a washroom adjacent to the counting room on June 4. The SIT found substantial discrepancies between the declared income of the accused and deposits in their bank accounts. Although the counting staff were earning around Rs.20,000 a month (about Rs.15,000 after deductions), investigators found unusually large cash deposits, fixed deposits and other financial transactions, suggesting that allegedly siphoned money was routed through personal and relatives' bank accounts. The report points to widespread violations of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) jointly framed by the Trust and the State Bank of India for handling temple donations. Mandatory frisking at entry and exit points was not carried out, pocketless uniforms were not enforced, personal belongings were allowed inside the counting room, biometric attendance was ineffective, donations from different hundis were mixed before counting, denomination-wise records were not maintained, and CCTV monitoring was not used as an active deterrent. The SIT said these lapses collectively created an environment that enabled repeated theft of donation money. The report also raises questions over the role of senior Trust functionaries. It holds that Dr Anil Mishra, who represented the Trust in framing the SOP with the bank, failed to ensure effective implementation of security measures despite being aware that frisking and other safeguards were not being followed. The report attributes "senior supervisory responsibility" to him for not initiating corrective measures. Similarly, the SIT has found Subhash Srivastava, who was in charge of the counting room, responsible for gross negligence, alleging he failed to enforce frisking, monitor counting staff or ensure compliance with mandatory security protocols. It also flags the role of Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, who allegedly retained custody of donation box keys without formal authorisation and recommended the appointment of his relative, Manish Kumar Yadav, who was later found allegedly involved in the theft. The investigators have also questioned why a February 2025 revision of the SOP diluted mandatory frisking by replacing it with "regular/random" checks, observing that even these relaxed provisions were not implemented. The report notes that internal audit reports between 2022-23 and 2025-26 had repeatedly flagged deficiencies in the donation management system, including poor documentation, inadequate CCTV coverage and the need to preserve surveillance footage for 180 days. However, the recommendations were allegedly ignored. The SIT further clarified that social media allegations regarding disappearance of donated silver bricks and other valuable offerings could not be substantiated. After examining Trust records and physical verification, it found that the cited silver donations and other valuables remained accounted for and had been officially processed in accordance with documented procedures. Calling it a preliminary report, the SIT recommended registration of criminal cases against the six accused. It also recommended investigation against Subhash Srivastava, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu and other supervisory personnel for conspiracy, abetment, common intention and gross dereliction of duty....