The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of cash donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, appointing inspector general (Lucknow range) Kiran S to head the fresh three-member panel, in compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court.
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The top court had on July 20 asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider placing the ongoing police investigation under the supervision of the same three-member SIT that had first uncovered prima facie evidence of the alleged fraud.
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According to people familiar with the matter, the new SIT will comprise Kiran S as its chairperson, while DIG (Ayodhya) Somen Barma and SSP (Ayodhya) Gaurav Grover will serve as members. Though the constitution of the new panel has been agreed upon by the state authorities, an official notification confirming the appointments was yet to be issued till the filing of this report.
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The reconstituted SIT replaces the earlier panel headed by Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, an IAS officer. Kiran S was also a member of the previous SIT and has now been entrusted with leading the criminal investigation.
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People familiar with the matter said the newly constituted SIT is expected to submit its first progress report before the apex court on July 27.
The initial SIT was formed on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. It submitted its nine-page preliminary report on June 23, following which Ayodhya police registered an FIR against eight people allegedly involved in siphoning off donations during the counting process. All eight accused have since been arrested.
