Top officials of the trust managing the Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, northern Uttar Pradesh, resigned on Friday following the arrest of eight individuals accused of theft and financial irregularities related to donations at the site. The resignations were confirmed by a temple management official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The arrests came after police filed a criminal case on Thursday, citing allegations of embezzlement involving cash and valuables, including gold and silver, donated by devotees. Those detained are reported to include temple employees responsible for handling and counting contributions. They face charges including criminal breach of trust, theft, criminal conspiracy, and corruption, according to a government statement issued late Thursday. While authorities have not publicly disclosed the amount involved, opposition parties and media reports suggest the scale of the alleged misappropriation could exceed $20 million.
The Ram Mandir temple was inaugurated in 2024 with significant attention, including a ceremony led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The $240 million project was funded entirely through public donations and has since attracted over 50 million visitors in its first year, according to the temple trust. The shrine holds immense religious significance for devout Hindus, who believe the site marks the birthplace of the deity Ram.
The controversy has stirred disappointment and anger among the faithful. Viti Saxena, a donor from Uttar Pradesh, described the situation as a "global shame" and expressed doubts about whether contributions actually reached the temple’s treasury. "The faith of countless Hindu believers is shaken," she said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, whose government initiated the probe, pledged a thorough investigation and promised that all responsible parties will be held accountable. The chief minister, a prominent Hindu monk, emphasized that no individual would be exempt from the law.
Following the scandal, Champat Rai, the principal trustee of the Ram Mandir Trust, resigned on “moral grounds,” along with another senior member of the management. There are reports that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust—the overarching body overseeing the temple—is set to be dissolved and restructured under government supervision in the near future.
The temple stands on a site historically contested due to the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992, an event that triggered decades of communal tension. The mosque had stood on the spot where many Hindus believe Lord Ram was born over 7,000 years ago. The recent allegations of financial misconduct add a new chapter to the complex history of Ayodhya’s religious and political landscape.