Ayodhya Ram temple multi-crore donation scam: What we know so far

Ayodhya has once again come back to bite the BJP, with the latest controversy being a potentially Rs 200-crore donation-embezzlement scam at its flagship Ram Janmabhoomi temple, which is gradually coming to light.

Here is what we know about the alleged scam so far.

What are the allegations?

Reports emerged in early June claiming that crores were missing from donations offered at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The reports were fuelled by sudden changes in the lifestyles of some counting staff. These employees, hired through a private agency, reportedly earn a monthly salary of around Rs 14,000–20,000. But some of them became owners of assets worth crores within a few years.

The names under investigation include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Rajesh Pathak, Ramshankar alias Tinnu Yadav, KD Tiwari, Manish Yadav, Karun, and Ritik Singh.

Also read: BJP leader seeks Central probe into alleged Ram temple fund embezzlement

Initially, rumours spread among other temple staff about their purchase of luxury cars, land, and houses. Here are some examples:

Tinnu Yadav: From auto driver to alleged Rs 50-crore fortune

Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav is the most talked-about name in the probe. Once an auto driver in Ayodhya, he reportedly now owns assets worth nearly Rs 50 crore in Ayodhya and Lucknow.

Media reports claim his properties include a 70-room hostel near the airport, stakes in three restaurants in Ayodhya, a house in Lucknow, a Fortuner SUV, and a two-storey hostel in the Naka area.

His nephew Manish Yadav, who was also involved in the cash-counting process like him, was allegedly found with Rs 36 lakh in cash.

KD Tiwari: Land and assets worth crores

Tiwari was responsible for recording gold and silver ornaments offered at the temple. He is accused of buying land worth Rs 1.5 crore and amassing assets of about Rs 5 crore.

He has denied any wrongdoing, claiming his role was limited to weighing ornaments and issuing receipts before handing them to trust officials. He insists his assets are part of his family’s legitimate income.

Rajesh Pathak: Lifestyle change

A resident of Khale Purwa in Ayodhya, Pathak was part of the note-counting team. Agencies are investigating his income sources, property details, and financial growth over the past five to six years.

Also read: Ayodhya Ram temple row: SIT set up to probe 'missing' donations, employee held

Anukalp Mishra: Farmhouse and lavish house

Mishra is accused of acquiring assets beyond his means, including a Rs 65-lakh house in Kaushalpuri, Ayodhya, and a farmhouse in his ancestral village. His spending on large religious events and family functions is also under scrutiny.

Lavkush Mishra: From car mechanic to crorepati

Lavkush, once a car mechanic, is accused of building a house in Faizabad and spending lavishly in his village. The Ayodhya Police raided his home in Rudauli area and reportedly recovered around Rs 10 lakh in cash hidden inside a cupboard and beneath a cow-dung heap. Responsible for counting daily cash offerings, his salary is just Rs 18,000–20,000 per month.

How was the counting of offerings done?

The cash collected from donation boxes placed near Ram Lalla’s sanctum and the viewing path was taken to a highly confidential chamber within the temple premises. For security reasons, details of this room were never made public, and entry of outsiders was strictly prohibited. A total of 50 employees were engaged in counting and monitoring the offerings.

Employees’ responsibilities

Fifty personnel in all are involved in the counting and verification of donations offered to the deity, Ram Lalla. Some of them reportedly serve without drawing a salary. The staffers are divided into three categories.

Cash counters (24): Hired through a private agency, responsible for counting notes and preparing bundles. Most earned about Rs 14,500 per month.

Trust employees (12): Oversaw the counters and supervised the entire process.

Bank and audit team (14): Included SBI staff and TCS audit members, tasked with financial verification and monitoring.

The whistleblower

Among the primary whistleblowers was former chief accounts officer of the trust, Mahipal Singh, who alleged that the siphoning had been systematically organized since 2020-21.

He alleged that cash-counting personnel would deliberately record voucher entries lower than the actual counted amounts by a few lakhs.

Also read: ‘If I speak the truth, I will get into trouble’: Brij Bhushan hints at Ram Temple funds scam

He also alleged that 10 separate chest-boxes holding gold and silver ornaments offered by devotees were carried away by an associate without official accounting entries or receipts.

He further alleged that upon reporting discrepancies to top trust officials like Champat Rai and Gopal Rao, he was unceremoniously removed from his duties.

How did the scam come to light?

Soon, the matter reached the media and became public, eventually reaching political circles. On June 7, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav flagged these reports in a social media post and sought suo-motu cognisance of the matter by the judiciary.

Initially, the temple trust maintained silence, and subsequently, trust general secretary Champat Rai said that internal audits were underway and no evidence supporting the allegations had emerged.

However, things escalated quickly when former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed he was aware of alleged misuse of donations but declining to reveal details, saying “very powerful people” were involved in the embezzlement of funds.

At the same time, senior BJP leader Rajneesh Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking public disclosure of the trust’s finances, assets, donations, expenditures, bank accounts and land transactions. He said devotees who had contributed to the construction of the temple had a right to know how donations, including cash, ornaments and other valuables, were being utilised.

Formation of SIT

As the controversy gained momentum, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (June 13) constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The SIT comprises Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow; Kiran S, IPS, Inspector General of Police; and Neel Ratan, Special Secretary, Finance Department.

Also read: Ram temple was result of struggle of three decades: Bhagwat

The SIT must submit its report within 15 days. The investigators are examining the offering counts, cash management, property purchases, bank dealings, and the entire financial network. More major disclosures are expected in the coming days.

Findings so far

Initial estimates reportedly suggest the scam could exceed Rs 200 crore. Investigators have seized about Rs 2 crore in cash, a luxury car, and three iPhones. The probe is ongoing, with expectations of further revelations.

The ongoing investigation is reportedly heavily focusing on the deletion of seven to eight months of temple CCTV footage, which destroyed critical electronic tracking of the cash-counting tables.

While there are reports of two arrests so far, many, especially the counting staff, are under the scanner of the sleuths.

Judicial appeal

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, demanding a CBI probe and a comprehensive Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the temple’s records.

Separately, a letter petition was sent directly to the Chief Justice of India urging Supreme Court monitoring of the fraud.

Akhilesh Yadav’s cryptic message

Akhilesh has attacked the BJP government and the probe, saying: “After theft in Ram temple offerings, how unfortunate that now that the Ram temple and saints will be investigated by officers. What greater misfortune for Sanatan Dharma could there be? This is an insult to Sanatan Dharma.”

Also read: LPG crisis: Ayodhya's Ram Temple suspends evening meals for devotees

He added, “If something happened, just switch off the cameras, talk among yourselves, and put the offerings back. Lord Ram will forgive.”

In a post on X on Saturday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, “The root of this conspiracy is not far away, therefore there will be no need to go far to take action if the truth is to be uncovered.”

He further said, “If the police are unable to identify the guilty, we can help.” Akhilesh, however, did not elaborate who he was referring to in the post.

Despite the grand inauguration of the Ram temple just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP lost the Faizabad constituency (which contains the city of Ayodhya) in one of the most stunning upsets of the polls. And now, with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election next year, the new controversy does not bode well for the BJP.