New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised a series of questions over the chargesheet filed in the Ayodhya Ram temple offerings theft case, alleging a cover-up and demanding an independent probe under Supreme Court supervision, while the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) International President, Alok Kumar, maintained that the investigation was complete and had found no wrongdoing beyond the theft of offerings.

In a post on X, Ramesh said the public had never trusted the government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT)  formed to probe the theft of offerings at the temple, and that details emerging from the chargesheet had only deepened suspicions.

'We had said from the very first day that the people of the country have no faith in the government-appointed SIT formed to investigate the theft of offerings at the Ayodhya temple of Lord Shri Ram. Now, the facts emerging from the chargesheet have raised serious questions about this investigation and the government's cover-up efforts,' he said.

Ramesh alleged a significant delay between the discovery of evidence and the registration of the FIR.

'According to the chargesheet, a video of 2.25 lakh being found in the bathroom on June 4 was sent to Champat Rai. On June 5, he was also shown the CCTV footage. Despite this, the FIR was filed on June 25. When the CCTV footage, the recovery, and the identification of suspicious employees had already come to light, why was there such a delay in initiating criminal action? In these 21 days, who exactly got the chance to be protected, and what was hidden?' he said.

He further cited details from the chargesheet regarding the scale of the alleged theft.

'According to the chargesheet, the CCTV footage has revealed 105 instances of offerings being removed. One accused was seen removing money 85 times, and the repeated involvement of other accused individuals has also come to light,' he said.

Questioning why senior trust officials were not named as accused, Ramesh said, 'The SIT knew that even three days after everything had come to light, Champat Rai had denied the theft of offerings. Yet, why were Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao not named as accused - Why are they witnesses? Despite losing the public's trust, why are they still in place in the trust?'

He argued that the investigation's scope appeared limited despite the scale of material examined.

'From 70 to 105 incidents have surfaced, thousands of digital messages have been examined, and scrutiny of bank accounts and properties has been mentioned. Yet, why was the investigation's reach limited to just eight accused? Did the SIT establish accountability for the entire system, or did it confine the matter to just the minor players?' he said,

'The biggest question: Do the threads of this entire case reach all the way to the top leadership of the BJP-RSS?' he added. 

Ramesh demanded a fresh, court-monitored probe.

'Until the real responsibility for the theft of offerings made in the name of Lord Shri Ram is fixed, this case cannot be considered closed... Its impartial and transparent investigation should take place under the supervision of the Supreme Court,' he said.

He further called on the Prime Minister to respond. 'Prime Minister, break your silence - otherwise, it means the thieves have your protection,' he said.

When asked about the allegations regarding the case, VHP International President Alok Kumar said the investigation into the case was complete and had been closely monitored by the Supreme Court.

'The investigation into the Ayodhya Ram Temple case is complete, and a chargesheet of over 17,000 pages has been filed in court. The Supreme Court monitored the investigation, and the SIT was reconstituted with a forensic auditor,' he said.

Kumar said the probe had confirmed theft of offerings but found no other irregularities.

'The investigation found theft of offerings, and the accused have been arrested and will face trial. Apart from the offerings, no wrongdoing was found, and the valuables offered to Ram Lalla are safe,' he said,

He added that the matter should now be considered settled.

'I believe the controversy should now end. Those found guilty will face trial,' he said. (ANI)