# Congress demands SC-supervised probe into Ram temple donation theft 2026-09-26T11:31:30+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Congress has demanded a Supreme Court-supervised investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, questioning the SIT probe. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged a 21-day delay between the recovery of Rs 2.25 lakh from a bathroom on June 4 and the filing of an FIR on June 25. He questioned why trust officials Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao were named witnesses, not accused, and whether the probe was limited to minor players. The Hindustan Times reports that Rai and Mishra have been named as prosecution witnesses among 133 in the chargesheet filed on September 23. Six counting agents and two co-accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged criminal breach of trust. CCTV footage identified 105 instances of unauthorised currency removal. Ramesh also questioned Prime Minister Modi's silence, suggesting it implied protection for the accused. The SIT has filed its chargesheet, the trial is pending. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The New Indian Express and National Herald give heavy space to Congress allegations of a cover-up and political protection, while Hindustan Times sticks to the legal facts of the chargesheet and witness list. The critical framing omits that being a witness does not imply guilt, and the neutral framing omits the political context of the trust leadership's links. The gap between the recovery and FIR is the factual core, but neither side has proven what, if anything, happened in those 21 days. The trial will determine that. ## Coverage - newindianexpress.com (government critical) Leads with Congress allegations of cover-up and PM's protection - nationalheraldindia.com (government critical) Gives platform to Congress questioning of SIT and delay - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Reports chargesheet details and witness list without political framing Tags: Ayodhya, Congress, Jairam Ramesh, Ram temple, SIT, Supreme Court Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/congress-demands-sc-supervised-probe-into-ram-temple-donation-theft/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/congress-demands-sc-supervised-probe-into-ram-temple-donation-theft/#story-in-brief