Ram Mandir Trust Investigates Donation Theft, Issues Show‑Cause Notices to Officials

The Uttar Pradesh government’s Special Investigation Team is probing an alleged theft of donations from the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya, where officials say nearly ₹80 lakh and foreign currency were recovered. Eight individuals involved in counting and handling the donations have been arrested.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is set to issue show‑cause notices to General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra ahead of a meeting on 6 July, where possible resignations and administrative reforms will be discussed. The trust’s chairman, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, remains hospitalized.

VHP International President Alok Kumar remarked that Rai “may be guilty of negligence” but stressed that any action depends on the investigation’s outcome and denied any links to the VHP, RSS or the Prime Minister’s Office. The probe has been widened to examine security protocols, audit records for the past five years and the role of private security staff.