The Ram Mandir is a Hindu temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, built at a site regarded by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Rama, where the Babri Masjid stood until it was demolished in 1992. The temple was built after the Supreme Court of India, in its 2019 Ayodhya verdict, awarded the disputed land for the construction of the temple. Its consecration (Pran Pratishtha) was held on January 22, 2024.
Since the consecration, millions of devotees from India and abroad have visited the temple, donating cash, gold, silver and other valuables. The donations are managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
More than two years later, in June 2026, the temple became the centre of a new controversy after allegations surfaced that some of the cash and valuables donated by devotees had been stolen or misappropriated during counting and handling. The Uttar Pradesh Police registered criminal cases and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the case so far.
The controversy soon became a political issue, with Opposition parties demanding an independent investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations and questioning the handling of devotees’ offerings. The BJP and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have maintained that those found responsible will face strict action while urging people not to tarnish the image of the temple or politicise the issue.
The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court through petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation and a forensic audit of the trust’s finances. The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) to continue its investigation, include a forensic auditor in the probe, and submit status reports, while the investigation remains ongoing.
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