The trust governing Ayodhya's Ram Temple has restructured its leadership following allegations that tens of millions of rupees in donations were embezzled. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, replacing Rai with retired forest officer Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary.
Police registered an embezzlement case on 25 June and arrested eight suspects, while the state government appointed a three-member Special Investigation Team whose findings prompted the criminal complaint. A former city legislator has alleged more than 70 million rupees ($739,550) went missing, though the trust says all valuable donations remain accounted for. The temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024, has seen daily visitor numbers drop sharply since the allegations surfaced, hurting local businesses.
Police have recovered cash from three accused and the SIT's final report is expected within days.