From Our Correspondent
Ayodhya: The arrest of two temple employees in the Ayodhya Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple donation embezzlement case has deeply disturbed devotees and genuine Ram bhakts across the country. Many now feel that the temple, built after decades of struggle and consecrated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the role of yajaman, has been turned into a system that enabled a few insiders to loot the sacred offerings of ordinary devotees.
On Thursday, an FIR was registered at Ayodhya police station against eight persons following the preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Two of them — Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra (Luvkush Mishra), both temple staff responsible for counting cash and valuables — have been arrested. Stolen money was recovered from them. The FIR names the following eight individuals:
- Anukalp Mishra
- Lavkush Mishra (Luvkush Mishra)
- Avinash Shukla
- Ramshankar Mishra
- Manish Kumar Yadav
- Karunesh Pandey
- Subhash Srivastava
- Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu (Tinnu Yadav) — close aide and former driver of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai
All eight were allegedly caught on CCTV cameras siphoning off donations from the temple’s hundis. The case has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft by servant, criminal breach of trust, dishonestly receiving stolen property, and criminal conspiracy. Reports indicate that nearly ₹7 to 7.5 crore in devotee donations is alleged to have been misappropriated in this instance.
Of the eight named, the first seven are temple employees and staff with no known affiliation to the RSS, BJP, or Sangh Parivar. However, the eighth name — Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu — is a close personal aide of Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and a senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader with deep and longstanding RSS connections. This link has become the central point of criticism against the Trust’s management.
Devotees who donated their hard-earned money with pure faith during the temple movement and after the pran pratishtha are expressing a strong sense of betrayal. Many genuine Ram bhakts now feel that the temple was constructed in a manner that facilitated a small group of insiders to loot the contributions of ordinary devotees and bhakts. The presence of Champat Rai’s close aide in the FIR has only strengthened this perception.
The arrests and the FIR have triggered severe criticism of both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted under the directions and order of the Supreme Court. Its key operational leadership, particularly General Secretary Champat Rai, has strong and well-documented RSS and VHP affiliations. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having led the historic pran pratishtha as yajaman, critics argue that the RSS (through its ideological and organisational dominance over the Trust), the BJP (through political power), and the Supreme Court-mandated Trust structure all bear moral responsibility for ensuring transparent and accountable management of the sacred funds.
While the Trust maintains that it initiated the probe to protect the temple’s image, the fact that crores could allegedly be siphoned off under a management heavily influenced by RSS-linked figures has damaged public confidence. Devotee groups and observers are now demanding a comprehensive independent forensic audit of all donations—cash, gold, silver and other valuables—received since the Trust’s formation, along with full public disclosure and an investigation that does not spare anyone based on position or proximity to power.
For millions of ordinary Ram bhakts, the temple represented the culmination of faith and sacrifice. The current revelations have left many feeling that their devotion has been exploited. As the investigation unfolds, the moral responsibility on the RSS for the Trust’s functioning, the BJP for governance oversight, and the constitutional framework established by the Supreme Court remains under sharp public scrutiny. Anything short of complete transparency and action against all involved will further alienate the very devotees whose unwavering support made the temple possible.