What’s the multi-crore donation ‘scam’ at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir being probed by SIT?

On Monday (June 15), all eyes turned to the temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, where the famous Ram Janmabhoomi temple is situated, as a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Uttar Pradesh government arrived at the religious site to investigate alleged misappropriation of donations.

The arrival of the investigating team came after the Yogi Adityanath-led government called for the constitution of an SIT on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra to investigate allegations of missing donation funds to the temple.

The SIT, comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan, has been directed to submit a preliminary report within seven days and a final report within 15 days.

But what exactly is the probe all about? We examine the matter and bring you the latest.

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The start of the Ayodhya donation row

The arrival of the SIT and its investigation all stems from earlier this month, when Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said crores of rupees in donations to the Ram Mandir were missing. He called the issue “extremely sensitive” for devotees and questioned the silence of the trust and the state government.

The former UP CM noted that reports regarding the alleged theft of offerings at the temple were a matter of serious concern. “If there is theft in donations, complaints are bound to follow,” he remarked.

Yadav also questioned why authorities refused to make the CCTV footage of the counting of the offerings public.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust behind the Ram Mandir, dismissed the allegations, with trust general secretary Champat Rai noting that internal audits had shown no such discrepancies. He added that representatives of the trust and the State Bank of India were involved in periodic audits and that nothing had come to light during the ongoing exercise.

The matter came into focus earlier this month after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that reports suggested several crores of rupees donated to the Ram temple had gone missing. File image/AFP

Allegations mount

But it seems that the Trust’s dismissal of Yadav’s allegations didn’t calm matters down. In fact, following the SP leader’s claims, Rajneesh Singh, a BJP leader from Ayodhya, wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking public disclosure of the funds that the temple has received since its inception.

In his letter dated June 9, the BJP leader noted that the Ram Temple was a centre of faith for millions of people, and that any allegation should be handled by an independent inquiry.

In a second letter, Singh wrote that institutions being run in the name of Lord Ram should follow the highest standards of transparency. “Crores of devotees from India and abroad have contributed their faith and lifelong earnings for the construction of the Ram Mandir. This wealth does not belong to any individual, group, or institution, but is a symbol of the devotion of crores of devotees,” he said in the letter.

He asserted that every devotee has a “moral and democratic right” to know how donations, including money, ornaments, and other valuables, have been utilised.

It has been alleged that crores of rupees have been embezzled from the donations made to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. File image/AFP

The controversy escalated when former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed he was aware of alleged misuse of donations but declined to reveal details.

Additionally, matters intensified when senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar voiced concern over the alleged donation row. He demanded that strict action be taken, telling The Print, “This is a serious matter. Thousands of people made sacrifices for the Ram Temple movement, and many went to jail. Former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had even resigned from his post. Such people (those responsible for theft) have no place in the trust and should be removed.”

He even suggested that those associated with the trust could be involved in the alleged irregularities, adding, “Sab ke sab chor hain, jo bhi is samay hain…(all of them are thieves).”

An arrest adds a twist to the Ayodhya donation row

With concerns growing about donations at the Ram Mandir, the Yogi Adityanath-led government announced the formation of an SIT on Saturday (June 13).

In investigating the alleged fraud at the Ayodhya temple, the police arrested two officials from the religious site. According to reports, authorities found Rs 10 lakh in cash from the residence of a man identified as Lav Kush Mishra, one of the employees, who is involved in counting donations at the temple.

It is not yet confirmed if the money found at Mishra’s house has anything to do with the alleged donations row at the Ram Mandir.

But speaking to The Telegraph, Mishra’s father said: “The police broke the lock of a room and took away cash. “I live in Ghaziabad and arrived here only a few days ago. The police had already detained my son. I don’t think my son kept the money here; someone did it to implicate him and save themselves.”

Officials have arrested two temple authorities, adding a new twist to the matter. File image/PTI

SIT’s marathon probe at Ram Mandir

And on Monday, the three-member SIT arrived at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya to verify the process that the Trust follows to collect and count the donations it receives.

For almost eight hours, the SIT team questioned members associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, along with staff engaged in counting donations and preparing cash bundles before deposits are made.

A Moneycontrol report states that as part of the inquiry, the SIT also reviewed staff movement records, security protocols followed at entry and exit points, and details of employees who had joined or exited the temple administration over the last year. Investigators additionally checked documents related to donations and inspected the CCTV monitoring set-up.

And it seems that the probe is far from over. The SIT arrived at the temple on Tuesday, too, and continued their probe.

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Allahabad High Court, demanding a CBI probe and a comprehensive Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the temple. Furthermore, a letter was sent directly to the Chief Justice of India, urging that the Supreme Court monitor the fraud.

Whopping donations to Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

Since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024, the Ram Mandir has attracted substantial public contributions. On the very first day of public opening in 2024, devotees offered nearly Rs 3.17 crore.

According to the Trust, in the first 11 days of opening, the Ram Mandir reportedly received around Rs 11 crore in donations averaging nearly Rs 1 crore per day. And according to annual reports, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust reported annual earnings of nearly Rs 327 crore during FY 2024-25. Donations contributed Rs 153 crore while interest income accounted for Rs 173 crore.

With inputs from agencies