Allegations To Arrest, Resignations: How Ram Mandir Donation Row Unravelled

Allegations of financial irregularities in the handling of donations at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir have snowballed into a significant political and administrative controversy in Uttar Pradesh, culminating in the resignation of the temple trust's general secretary, the registration of a first information report and the arrest of eight people.

What started as questions raised in public by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has since led to a state-backed Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry, searches at residences, the recovery of unaccounted cash and the questioning of temple staff and bank officials. The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum and prompted calls for a thorough overhaul of the temple's management systems.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai has now stepped down on moral grounds, and trustee Anil Mishra has also submitted his resignation. 

How The Controversy Began

On June 7, Akhilesh Yadav publicly raised concerns about alleged irregularities in donation management at the temple.

समस्त विश्व में भगवान राम के उपासकों के लिए ये एक बेहद संवेदनशील समाचार है कि ‘राम मंदिर' के चढ़ावे की करोड़ों की रकम गायब पायी गई है।

ये मंदिर ट्रस्ट के लिए अत्यंत शर्मनाक स्थिति है। कोई भी सफ़ाई देने के लिए सामने नहीं आना चाहता है।

न्यायालय से स्वतः संज्ञान लेने की माँग है…

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 7, 2026

Champat Rai responded by stating that internal audits were already underway and that nothing of note had emerged from them. "The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra undergoes internal audits from time to time. Representatives of the trust and the State Bank of India are involved in this exercise. The audit process lasts for several days. The same work is being carried out these days. Nothing noteworthy has come to light yet," Rai said.

State Orders SIT Probe

On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust itself to look into allegations of misappropriation of donation funds. The team comprised Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow, Kiran S, IPS, Inspector General of Police, and Neel Ratan, Special Secretary in the Finance Department.

Cash Found Hidden At A Staffer's Home

A day later, on June 14, the Special Operations Group and local police recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash that could not be accounted for. The money was found concealed beneath a pile of cow dung at the home of Lavkush Mishra, one of the temporary workers hired to count temple donations.

Akhilesh Yadav Steps Up Pressure

On June 17, Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference to press his allegations further. He claimed that CCTV footage connected to the donation-counting process was missing, criticised what he described as a complete absence of transparency in the temple's accounts, and raised additional concerns about alleged land-grabbing incidents in Ayodhya.

SIT Begins Questioning Officials

On June 18, SIT questioned temple employees Mayank, Shivam Pandey, Ashish Dubey and Ratnesh, as well as Ashish Agnihotri, who had assisted in managing gold, silver and other valuables offered at the temple.

The following day, June 19, the SIT questioned Champat Rai, Dr Mishra and Gopal Rao separately for close to six hours on the temple premises. State Bank of India officials, including the branch manager and cashier, were also interrogated.

Chief Minister Yogi Visits Temple, Promises Fair Inquiry

Also on June 19, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Ram Temple and addressed the issue directly. He said the government had acted on the trust's own request and assured that the investigation would distinguish fact from fiction.

"My appeal to all Ram devotees is this: at the request of the trust, we have ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry. I can assure you that the SIT investigation will separate truth from falsehood. I request everyone and all parties involved to refrain from making baseless comments or statements that hurt the sentiments of Ram devotees. If anyone has any documentary evidence, they should kindly submit it to the SIT," the Chief Minister said in Ayodhya.

Temple Construction Chief Calls For Full Management Overhaul

On June 20, Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction Committee, said the entire management structure of the temple needed to be reformed. He said the donation row had brought serious failures in supervision and accountability to the surface.

Preliminary SIT Report Submitted

On June 23, Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant submitted the SIT's preliminary report to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad.

Political Pressure Mounts Over FIR Delay

On June 24, Akhilesh Yadav posted sharply worded criticism on X, saying that "without an FIR, the SIT is like a bow without arrows," and sarcastically suggesting that SIT stood for "Share in Theft."

The Vishva Hindu Parishad also called for an FIR and pressed for the case to be heard on a day-to-day basis. VHP international president Alok Kumar said, "Based on the news that appeared in the media about extracts from the SIT report, it can be said that there are enough grounds to file an FIR in the matter."

FIR Registered, Eight Arrested

On June 25, the first FIR in the case was registered on the complaint of Krishna Mohan, a member of the trust. The FIR named eight individuals: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu. Several unidentified persons were also mentioned.

The accused face charges under Sections 305, 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. All eight were subsequently arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police.

On the same day, the Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation seeking a court-monitored inquiry into the trust's donation-handling processes.

Zero-Tolerance Pledge And Trust Chiefs Resign

On June 26, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state government would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards anyone seeking to undermine public trust.

In another significant development, Champat Rai stepped down as general secretary of the trust, citing moral responsibility in the wake of the allegations. Trustee Anil Mishra also submitted his resignation, according to officials.