Ram Temple donation case: SIT to re-audit trust's five-year accounts

New Delhi: The special investigation team (SIT) probing alleged embezzlement of donations from the Ram temple in Ayodhya will conduct a re-audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's accounts for the past five years in view of its preliminary findings, according to a PTI report.

The re-audit will cover construction-related expenditure as well as jewellery and other gold and silver items received as donations, the report said citing sources. The SIT will carry out a detailed scrutiny of the trust's financial records for the entire five-year period, it said.

In another development, the Ayodhya Police questioned key accused Avinash Shukla after taking him into custody. Shukla, who had been associated with donation-counting work at the temple, was arrested earlier in the case and a local court on Thursday granted his police custody for 24 hours.


Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal termed the alleged embezzlement the "tip of the iceberg" and claimed that there was an attempt to shield powerful people involved in the scam.

Raising questions over the ongoing probe into the alleged theft of donation money, the former Delhi chief minister claimed at a press conference in Panaji that financial irregularities had been taking place at the temple since 2021.