Ayodhya Ram Mandir donations: 3 key trustees under scrutiny
Ayodhya Ram Mandir donations: 3 key trustees under scrutiny
The alleged theft of offerings at Ayodhya's Shri Ram Temple has sparked a nationwide debate about the security of donations collected through its 14 donation boxes.
The controversy over the alleged misappropriation of nearly ₹7 crore from donation funds escalated when police recovered ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh from a temple employee's residence in Rudauli.
The temple trust, with Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, has reportedly conducted internal investigations, but no FIRs have been filed yet, according to Bhaskar English.
Employee caught on CCTV stealing cash
Rai, trustee Dr. Anil Mishra, and premises administrator Gopal Rao are under scrutiny for their roles in managing temple operations and donations.
Reports suggest that a recently hired employee, who was counting offerings, allegedly concealed a bundle of cash on June 7, which was captured on CCTV cameras.
During interrogation, the employee allegedly revealed information about thefts related to donation collections.
No irregularities in donation collections: Rai
Rai has denied any irregularities, stating that the trust regularly audits donation collections and finds no discrepancies.
He added that donation figures are always made public with no transparency issues in managing temple funds.
On the other hand, temple accountant Mahipal Singh alleged that such misappropriation of offerings was not a recent development but had been happening since 2020-21.
Trust yet to respond to allegations
The report by Bhaskar English cited senior journalist Indubhushan Pandey questioning why there hasn't been a detailed response from the trust regarding Singh's allegations.
He noted that during a trust meeting on March 21, financial records for April 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026, mentioned donations worth around ₹82 crore, but didn't provide details of jewelry donations received during that period.
Accused calls controversy an attempt to defame him
Tinnu Yadav, who is also an accused in the case, has denied any wrongdoing and called the controversy an attempt to defame him.
He challenged anyone with evidence to make it public and maintained that records of his and his family's assets are available online.
Questions have also been raised about Rao's role as administrator, with critics asking why CCTV footage wasn't investigated earlier.
Bajrang Dal founder demands FIR in case
Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar has demanded a formal investigation and registration of an FIR in the case. He stressed that everyone involved should be interrogated to ensure no doubts remain about how temple funds were handled.
Dr. Mishra has also faced allegations that several of his relatives worked in the temple administration. Critics argue that, given his control over financial and administrative matters, his role in overseeing donation management should be investigated too.