The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has abolished the special pass system for visiting the Ram Darbar at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, effective 5 August, making the darshan process significantly more accessible for devotees across the country. Under the revised arrangement, pilgrims no longer need a separate permit to access the Ram Darbar on the first floor of the temple.

What Has Changed for Devotees

Previously, only a limited number of special passes were issued each day for Ram Darbar darshan, creating an additional hurdle for pilgrims who had already waited in the general queue. Under the new system, devotees can proceed directly to the Ram Darbar on the first floor after completing the regular darshan of Ram Lalla through the standard queue — no separate permit required.

The trust said the decision was taken to simplify the darshan process and make it more inclusive for all visitors. The move is expected to reduce administrative bottlenecks and ease congestion at the pass-issuance points, which had often become a secondary pain point for pilgrims.

Donation Theft Probe: SIT Gets Senior IPS Officer

Separately, the Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on 27 July that Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran S will lead the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the theft of donations from the Ram Temple. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant directed authorities to appoint a chartered accountant to assist the SIT and submit a status report within two weeks.

The bench — comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana — had earlier, during a 20 July hearing, asked the state government to consider reconstituting the SIT under a senior IPS officer. The court's latest direction follows that recommendation.

Timeline of the Donation Embezzlement Case

The embezzlement of temple donations first came to light in the first week of June. The Uttar Pradesh government constituted the SIT on 13 June, initially giving it 15 days to investigate. Following submission of the preliminary SIT report on 23 June, an FIR was registered on 25 June.

Eight individuals — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav — have been arrested in connection with the case.

Trust Secretary Resigns, Alleges Bank Negligence

Last month, Champat Rai, the general secretary of the trust managing the temple, resigned on moral grounds in the wake of the scandal. He subsequently accused the State Bank of India's Ayodhya branch of negligence, alleging it failed to follow security protocols. In a note submitted to the SIT, Rai stated that senior bank officials must explain how security lapses were permitted in the chest room.

With the SIT now under senior IPS leadership and the Supreme Court monitoring the probe, the investigation is expected to move into a more structured phase in the coming weeks.