LUCKNOW The Supreme Court-mandated Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to file its charge sheet before the competent court on Wednesday, people familiar with the investigation said.
The 105 instances identified during the latest investigation are higher than the 70 alleged theft instances identified by the first SIT headed by then Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant. The charge sheet is expected to set out findings from a detailed investigation covering cash collections and counting, movement of segregated cash to banks and valuable donations. It will also include documents relating to financial dealings and assets of the eight accused arrested so far, along with findings of a separate forensic audit. The second SIT was constituted by the Supreme Court in July, with Kiran S as its head and DIG (Ayodhya) Somen Barma and SSP (Ayodhya) Gaurav Grover and additional SP Ritesh Kumar Singh as members. The court also directed the inclusion of a forensic auditor.
The charge sheet is likely to be filed ahead of the September 25 deadline indicated before the Supreme Court, when the 90-day period from the first arrest is due to expire.
The filing will place before the trial court the CCTV, documentary, electronic, financial and forensic material gathered during the investigation into the alleged donation theft.
