no-scam-in-ram-mandir-funds-theft-only-in-cash-sorting-sources

Government sources on Thursday rejected allegations of a financial scam in the management of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, saying an independent audit has fully accounted for the nearly ₹3,300 crore collected for the Ram Mandir project.

 

According to the sources, the funds have been audited by external auditors V Sankar Aiyer & Co., with all major expenditures following established banking and financial procedures. They said around ₹1,800 crore has been spent on temple construction and nearly ₹400 crore on land acquisition, with no cash transactions involved in these payments.

 

The clarification comes amid scrutiny over the temple's donation management system following reports of a theft involving cash donations. Government sources maintained that the incident was an isolated case during the manual sorting of cash before machine counting.

 

They said six contractual employees engaged through Sainik Security Services (SSS), an agency hired by the State Bank of India, were identified through CCTV footage and arrested. The accused, the sources added, had no connection with the temple trust or its administration.

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The sources further said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the theft is functioning under the supervision of the Supreme Court, with senior IPS officers overseeing the investigation to ensure transparency.

 

Rejecting allegations over land purchases, the sources asserted that all payments for land acquisition were made through direct bank transfers from authorised accounts. They attributed higher land prices to post-verdict market conditions and compensation paid for commercial properties.

 

The government also said donations to the temple have remained unaffected by the incident. According to official figures cited by the sources, monthly hundi collections have continued at around ₹5 crore during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, indicating that devotees' confidence in the trust remains intact.