The investigation into the alleged financial irregularities involving donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has uncovered a significant connection to a Varanasi-based private security agency. Police have found that six of the eight people arrested in the case were employed by Sainik Security Services, a firm that supplied personnel for the temple’s donation cash-counting operations.
According to investigators, the security agency had provided manpower to the State Bank of India (SBI) branch responsible for handling the temple’s donation counting. The agency’s director, Gaurav Singh, stated that the local SBI branch had requested the induction of 19 individuals, including the accused, for deployment in the cash-counting unit. He clarified that the recruitment request came from the local branch rather than the company’s corporate office.
SBI has said it is fully cooperating with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement. Bank officials also noted that recruitment for such assignments is typically handled through centralized procedures, making the local-level hiring process unusual.
The SIT has already recovered nearly ₹80 lakh in cash from several accused and is investigating whether standard operating procedures were bypassed during the handling of temple donations. Authorities are also examining possible security lapses and the role of other officials connected to the donation management system.
The Varanasi-based security agency operates across multiple states and provides security services to several government organizations, according to its official records. Investigators continue to examine whether there was any broader network involved in the alleged misuse of temple donations.
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