In early June 2026, a massive controversy erupted over the alleged embezzlement of funds and valuables from the daily chadhava, or donations, at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. While the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the official body that manages the temple, has firmly denied any mismanagement, a growing cloud of suspicion has formed. Over 50 employees linked to the temple management have now come under intense legal and regulatory scrutiny.

Behind the Claims: How the Alleged Infractions Surfaced

Consecrated in January 2024, the historic Ayodhya Ram Mandir attracts lakhs of devoted individuals every single year. These visitors donate vast amounts of cash, gold, silver, and intricate ornaments through dedicated hundi boxes installed securely inside the temple premises. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust handles the collection, counting, accounting, and ultimate utilization of these resources for the temple’s daily management and related activities.

For daily cash handling, the temple trust deploys its own internal staff alongside workers hired via private external agencies. These employees are tasked with counting physical currency notes, preparing secure bundles, and maintaining financial records. Parallel handling processes exist for managing precious ornaments and metals. According to the Temple Trust, regular internal audits are routinely conducted to maintain organizational transparency.

However, serious allegations of ‘chadhava chori’ or a donation scam at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir were first highlighted by local media outlets. The matter rapidly gained intense political traction on 7th June 2026, after Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav cited these media reports of crores in unaccounted donations and publicly called for judicial intervention. Alarming claims quickly emerged regarding deep discrepancies in donation collections, sudden wealth accumulation by several low-paid counting staff, and large sums of missing funds.

On 7th June, Akhilesh Yadav posted a strong statement on X to voice his concerns:

“This is an extremely sensitive piece of news for devotees of Lord Ram across the entire world: crores of rupees in offerings to the ‘Ram Mandir’ have been found missing. This is an utterly shameful situation for the temple trust. No one is coming forward to offer any explanation. There is a demand for the court to take suo motu cognisance, as this is directly linked to the deep faith in Lord Ram held by the entire Sanatan society at a global level. The government’s silence is suspicious,”

Two days later, Akhilesh Yadav shot a series of direct questions regarding what he explicitly described as the “Chadhava Chori Kaand”.

Discrepancies, Missing Metal Stones, and Whistleblower Claims

It has been alleged that crores of rupees from daily cash offerings or chadhava were systematically siphoned by temple management insiders. While initial local assertions claimed that the alleged unaccounted donations ranged from Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore, wider media reports now claim that the missing funds exceed the massive Rs 200 crore estimates. Reports claim that since around 2020-21, some cash-counting staff hired through a private agency deliberately recorded lower amounts in official vouchers than what was actually collected from the boxes.

Moreover, there have been glaring alleged discrepancies in the record of donated ornaments. Over ten chest boxes containing gold, silver, and jewelry were allegedly removed without conducting any proper accounting processes.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, Dharmsena founder Santosh Dubey has claimed that 1,250 Ram stones or Ram Shila, made of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, and eight distinct metals, which were originally brought to Ayodhya in 1989 after being worshipped across villages, cities, and locations both in India and abroad, have now completely “disappeared.”

While the venerated, traditional clay shilas or stones remain physically at Karsevakpuram, the highly valuable metal stones are allegedly missing. Dharamsena founder Santosh Dubey has highlighted that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai, was also directly responsible for the care of these gold and silver stones.

Speaking to the publication Dainik Bhaskar, Dubey made a sensational claim that the theft of temple-related precious stones and other sacred objects had been ongoing since 1989. He explicitly named Champat Rai and stated:

“Champat Rai played a role in this. It is claimed that Paramahamsa Ramchandra Das fell ill from this shock and died two years later. Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti was unable to speak out due to fear. This clearly shows that the theft of gold and silver donated in the name of the Shri Ram Temple began not today, but as early as 1989.”

Allegedly, vital CCTV footage covering periods of several months from the main cash-counting areas has been deleted, further raising public suspicion of a deliberate cover-up.

Named in the media as the primary whistleblower of the alleged Ram Mandir Chadhava/donation scam, Mahipal Singh, who claims to be the Shri Ram Temple’s former accounts-in-charge, alleged that the theft of temple donations has been ongoing for quite some time. He claimed to have personally reported the matter to Champat Rai and other Trust members; however, he claimed that Champat Rai removed him from his post the very next day. Singh also claimed that CCTV footage from the temple premises dating back eight months was wiped.

What further intensified suspicions of an alleged donation embezzlement was the highly disproportionate assets found among temple staffers. Some of the low-paid staff members allegedly acquired huge real estate properties, expensive personal vehicles, and businesses far beyond their known monthly income of Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000. Two of the specific temple employees currently under police investigation are reported to have recently bought land worth Rs 1.5 crore, while another had purchased a local plot worth Rs 40 lakh.

There are also claims of deliberate mishandling, an organized cover-up, ignored internal complaints, and the active involvement of temple staff, including cash-counting staff, supervisors, and some others in the financial chain, including bank teams. Overall, around 50 employees, cash counters, temple Trust staff, and bank/audit personnel have officially come under police investigation.

The Collection System and Rising Footfalls

For collecting the offerings made in the ‘Daan Patra’ or donation boxes, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has installed four hundi boxes at specific locations in front of the Ram temple and along the entire darshan route. Devotees arriving at the temple premises deposit their desired amounts in these donation boxes daily.

The Ram Mandir Trust has officially authorized the State Bank of India (SBI) to count the collected cash. The SBI has outsourced this counting job to a private agency. Since its high-profile consecration on 22nd January 2024, the Ram Mandir has received massive donations from Ram Bhakts located around the world. On the first few days of its public opening, the temple received around Rs 11 crore in donations, averaging nearly Rs 1 crore per day.

As per the annual report released in September 2025, the temple Trust reported annual earnings of nearly Rs 327 crore during FY 2024-25. While donation offerings contributed Rs 153 crore, interest income accounted for Rs 173 crore. It is notable here that the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple has consistently attracted Hindus from around the world, reporting a record number of devotee footfalls every year since its opening in 2024.

Official Denials, SIT Formations, and Ongoing Legal Battles

Reacting firmly to the allegations regarding the missing Rs 7 crore, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai has categorically rejected these claims. He maintains that there have been absolutely no irregularities in fund management and no missing amounts have been detected during the internal audit.

However, to clear the air, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has officially formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into claims that a part of the donations received at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya cannot be accounted for.

The state government issued an official statement outlining the context of the probe:

“The trust sought a thorough inquiry, calling it necessary to check misinformation and bring out the truth, alleging that attempts were being made to tarnish the image of the Ram temple and hurt the faith of millions of devotees,”

The SIT has been directed to submit its preliminary report within seven days, while a detailed final report is expected within 15 days. According to official sources, the high-level panel includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.

The decision to set up the SIT was taken after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust approached Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and requested an independent inquiry. The trust said an official investigation was needed to establish the facts and clear up what it described as misleading claims regarding temple donations.

The issue gained widespread attention after leaders of the Samajwadi Party raised sharp questions about the money collected through donation boxes at the Ram Mandir. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey claimed that an amount between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore was entirely missing from the donations received by the temple.

Recently, the UP Police SIT arrested cash-counting staff member Lavkush Mishra, following the recovery of unexplained cash and suspicious property purchases. Mishra was taken into custody after police recovered Rs 10 lakh from his house. Some of the cash stash was hidden under cow dung. The investigators initiated action against Lavkush Mishra after an internal audit noticed his suspicious conduct during an extensive CCTV footage analysis.

While the Trust denies its direct involvement in any wrongdoing, BJP veterans like Vinay Katiyar have demanded a thorough investigation and stern action against the ‘chanda chors’, stating that the donation theft is a direct betrayal of decades of devotion.

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been moved before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The PIL seeks a CBI-led, court-monitored probe into the alleged fiscal irregularities in Shri Ram Mandir donations. Advocate Mohit Ashok has demanded a time-bound investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations, including cash and gold or silver offerings.

Amidst the ongoing probe, allegations, counter-allegations, intense politics, and PILs, BJP leader Rajneesh Singh has written directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking public disclosure of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust’s finances, assets, donations, expenditures, bank accounts, and land transactions to ensure complete accountability.