Claim
When the SIT questioned Tinnu Yadav about a jewelled necklace seen in his hand on CCTV, he said he had given it to Champat Rai; Champat Rai later said the necklace is with him, on record and safe.
“एसआईटी ने सीसीटीवी में टिन्नू यादव के हाथ में दिखाई दे रहे एक जड़ऊ हार के बारे में उससे पूछा। उसने बताया कि वह हार उसने चंपत राय को दिया था। बाद में चंपत राय ने बताया कि हार उनके पास है, रिकॉर्ड पर है, सुरक्षित है।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
The Ram Mandir donation-theft SIT probe and its questioning of Tinnu Yadav about a jewelled necklace are real and well documented. However, no independent outlet or fact-checker corroborates the specific chain claimed on air — that CCTV showed the necklace in Tinnu Yadav's hand, that he told the SIT he gave it to Champat Rai, and that Champat Rai confirmed it is with him, on record and safe. Contemporaneous reporting through late June instead said the necklace was untraceable, absent from all records, and that Tinnu claimed it had been sent to Bengaluru for melting, while Champat Rai was publicly silent on specifics as of early July. Because SIT interrogation contents are not public and accounts could have changed in later questioning, the claim cannot be confirmed, but the available record leans against its most reassuring element (that the necklace is safe and on record).
Evidence
- https://lalluram.com/sit-found-no-trace-of-ram-lalla-precious-necklace-and-charan-paduka/ June 19, 2026 report: SIT found no trace or record of the precious jewelled necklace; priest Mohit Pandey said he returned it to Tinnu Yadav, and Tinnu told investigators it was sent to Bengaluru to be melted — a materially different account from the broadcast's version. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.aajtak.in/uttar-pradesh/story/ram-mandir-donation-theft-case-60-kg-silver-slabs-become-mystery-sit-searching-for-clues-lcly-rpti-2583183-2026-06-20 Aaj Tak (June 20, 2026): the necklace gifted by the Jaunpur Vishwakarma family was missing from temple records, with SIT still searching for clues — contradicting the assertion that it is 'on record and safe'. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.tv9hindi.com/india/ayodhya-ram-mandir-offerings-theft-sit-probes-silver-items-bank-trusts-role-3826314.html TV9 Hindi: no receipt or record existed for the necklace and charan paduka gifted to Ram Lalla; SIT probing their disappearance. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://navbharatlive.com/uttar-pradesh/ayodhya/ram-mandir-donation-controversy-sit-reopens-interrogation-of-tinnu-and-gopal-1807413.html Confirms SIT did question people (including the priest and Tinnu Yadav) about the diamond-studded necklace, but records only that the priest returned it to Tinnu — no mention of Tinnu saying he gave it to Champat Rai or of Rai confirming possession. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/opinion-the-full-story-of-loot-in-ram-mandir-who-did-it-how-much-was-looted-where-has-the-jewellery-gone-2026-07-01-1046791 India TV's own July 1 written coverage of the case asks 'where has the jewellery gone' and does not report the CCTV-necklace exchange or Champat Rai's alleged confirmation, offering no published corroboration of the broadcast claim. ✓ reachable · archived