2026 Ram Mandir embezzlement case

Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy
DateJune 2026 – ongoing (as of August 2026)
Location
TypeAlleged financial irregularities / criminal investigation / public interest litigation
CauseAllegations of misappropriation of devotees' cash and other offerings at the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya
ParticipantsShri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra; Uttar Pradesh government / SIT; Supreme Court of India; accused temple staff
OutcomeFIR registered; eight arrests; resignations from Trust; Supreme Court monitoring of state probe (ongoing)

The 2026 Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case involves allegations that cash and other offerings (chadhawa) donated by devotees at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya were misused or diverted. The temple is managed by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra. The allegations led to the formation of a state-level Special Investigation Team and several public interest litigations in the Supreme Court of India seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Background

The Ram Mandir was inaugurated in January 2024 after the Supreme Court's 2019 judgment in the Ayodhya dispute.[1] The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is responsible for managing the temple, overseeing its construction and operations, and collecting donations and offerings from devotees.[2] By early 2026, the Trust received large amounts of cash through donations and daily offerings. It was later accused of mismanaging some of these funds.[3]

Investigation and arrests

On 13 June 2026, the Uttar Pradesh government set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, along with senior police and finance officials.[4] The SIT's initial investigation found evidence that cash donations were being systematically diverted while they were being collected and counted, before the money was deposited into the Trust's bank accounts.[5]

In late June 2026, the police registered a First Information Report against eight named individuals, mainly staff responsible for handling and counting donations, along with other unidentified persons. The case included charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft, and criminal conspiracy, as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Around 26 June 2026, police arrested all eight accused and recovered nearly ₹80 lakh (US$83,000) in cash from seven of them. The accused were later sent to judicial custody.[6]

After the investigation began, the Trust accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, removed the temple administrator, and started the process of appointing a new chief executive officer.[7][8] The Trust also released details of the donations it had received and how the money had been spent on the temple's construction and operations.[9]

Supreme Court proceedings

Several PILs were filed in the Supreme Court asking for a court-monitored investigation by the CBI through an SIT. The petitions also requested that important evidence, which included CCTV footage, donation registers, bank records, and digital logs, be preserved, and called for greater transparency in the Trust's finances. The petitioners included advocates and a Member of Parliament.[10]

On 29 June 2026, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court refused to hear the petitions urgently, stating that "heavens are not going to fall."[11] The Court directed that the cases be listed after it resumed its regular sittings in mid-July. On 13 July 2026, the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on the ongoing SIT investigation and directed the Trust to respond to the request for a CBI inquiry. On 26 July 2026, it ordered the state government ti appoint an independent forensic auditor in the reconstituted SIT.[12]

As of early August 2026, the state-level SIT investigation was still ongoing. The Supreme Court had not yet decided whether to transfer the case to the CBI.[13]

Reactions

The case sparked political debate, with opposition parties demanding an independent Supreme Court-monitored investigation.[14] Dissent was also reported within the ruling party.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Limaye, Yogita (21 January 2024). "Ayodhya: Temple to open at India's religious fault-line". BBC News. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Saha, Poulomi (5 February 2020). "Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra: PM Modi announces formation of Ayodhya temple trust". India Today. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Pandey, Geeta (26 June 2026). "Ayodhya, Ram Mandir: Row over alleged theft of donations from Indian temple". BBC News. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Uttar Pradesh Govt Reconstitutes SIT for Ram Temple Donation Theft Probe". The Wire. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Singh, Rohit Kumar (13 July 2026). "Ram temple donation probe: SIT finds no irregularity in Trust's banking records, audit trail, focuses on cash handling lapses". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Judicial custody of all eight accused in Ram Temple donation embezzlement case extended". The Hindu. 13 July 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Kumar, Mayank (6 July 2026). "Ram Temple Trust accepts resignation of Champat Rai, Anil Mishra". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Pandey, Geeta (7 July 2026). "Ayodhya, Ram Mandir: India's landmark temple overhauls board after alleged theft of donations". BBC News. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ram Mandir trust opens its vaults: Rs 3,264 crore spent, silver donations melted - details". The Times of India. 6 July 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "SC to hear pleas seeking CBI probe into alleged Ram temple donations embezzlement on July 13". The New Indian Express. 10 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "'Heavens not going to fall': Supreme Court refuses to fast-track Ram Temple pleas". The Indian Express. 29 June 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Bhaumik, Aaratrika (27 July 2026). "Include independent auditor in SIT probing Ram Temple donation theft, Supreme Court tells Uttar Pradesh". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Verma, Saurabh. "Supreme Court To Continue Monitoring Probe Into Ram Mandir Theft Case, Seeks Status Report". News18. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ram Temple donation theft: Congress demands Supreme Court-monitored probe". The Hindu. 2 August 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Rashid, Omar. "Ram Mandir Donation Allegations Trigger Dissent in Saffron Camp, Prompt Calls for CBI Probe, CAG Audit". The Wire. Retrieved 5 August 2026.

Further reading

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