LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the tenure of the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged donation-related irregularities at the Ram temple in Ayodhya till July 15.
"The tenure of the SIT has been extended to probe the matter deeply and widen the scope," said the official sources.
"The scope of the investigation may be expanded, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could also be brought into the case," they added.
Ayodhya Police has reportedly requested senior officials in Lucknow to involve the central agency. The SIT was constituted on June 13 at the request of Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
It comprises Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, IG Lucknow Range Kiran S and special secretary in the finance department Neelratan Kumar.
The SIT was initially directed to submit a preliminary report within seven days of the investigation and a final report within 15 days. However, on Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the SIT's request for additional time to comprehensively examine all aspects of the case.
The SIT had presented its report of preliminary enquiry to the UP government on June 23, 2026, following which an FIR was lodged against eight persons named for alleged misappropriation of donation money of the temple during the counting process on June 25.
All eight accused named in the FIR, including Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, are languishing in jail under judicial remand.
Later, on June 26, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra resigned from their respective positions in the trust and the resignation was confirmed only on June 27.
Meanwhile, Ayodhya Police have now widened the investigation to probe claims that a commission was charged for appointments made in the name of the temple trust.
A member of the trust has come under the scanner after his name surfaced repeatedly during the interrogation of arrested accused Avinash Shukla.
According to sources, police are examining allegations that around 125 temple employees were recruited on commissions.
Meanwhile, as per the highly-placed sources, Ayodhya Police have recovered a wooden chest marked 'Ramrajya Kosh' (Ramrajya Fund) from the Ayodhya-based yoga centre of jailed accused Avinash Shukla.
The chest had 'Ramrajya Kosh' written on it in red and also carried a Paytm QR code.
A video of the police raid conducted on June 28 surfaced on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, police questioned Avinash Shukla in Faizabad Jail for nearly two hours. Investigators questioned him about the cash and jewellery recovered from his residence on June 5, where Rs 14 lakh in cash was allegedly seized.
Moreover, around 400 private security personnel deployed at the Ram Temple complex have also come under investigation. Authorities are examining their duty rosters, CCTV footage, and entry-exit records.
Sources said the private security agency responsible for temple security is owned by a former Bihar MP. The Trust reportedly spends Rs 1 crore per month, or approximately Rs 12 crore annually, on private security services.
In another development, Arjun Dev, the Radio Operation Officer (RMO), who had been posted at the Ram Temple for the past 17 years, was transferred to Gorakhpur.
The SIT is also examining his role, as he was responsible for monitoring the 1,600 CCTV cameras installed across the temple complex, including those covering the offering counting room.
The informed sources claimed that a report on the alleged theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir was sent to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The report was reportedly prepared by Anil Kumar, the Kshetra Pracharak (Regional Pracharak) for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, who stayed in Ayodhya for three days following Bhagwat's direction.
According to sources, the report provides a detailed assessment of the Ram Mandir's arrangements, the functioning of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and the alleged theft of offerings.
A crucial meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to be held in Ayodhya on 6 July.
Sources claim that several important decisions could be taken in the coming days based on the Sangh's findings.