Authorities at the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya have announced a leadership overhaul after allegations that tens of millions of rupees received in donations were stolen.
The trust that manages the shrine accepted the resignation of general secretary Champat Rai and installed former forest officer Krishna Mohan as interim chief.
The temple, inaugurated in January 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now attracts about 50 million visitors annually and is a focal point of India’s cultural politics.
A special investigation team (SIT) set up by the state government handed a report that led the police to register a case of alleged embezzlement and arrest eight suspects.
Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri said the organisation had collected 5.82 bn rupees ($61 m) of offerings by March 31 2026 and spent 3.19 bn on upkeep.
The theft allegations were first raised by a dismissed accounts supervisor who claimed he was fired for warning about financial irregularities. The claims have sparked a political row, with opposition parties demanding a federal police probe and court oversight.
A former legislator has claimed more than 70 m rupees ($739,550) went missing. The trust remains confident that the theft was carried out by trusted aides, not the trustees themselves.
Giri said the next board meeting will be on 22 July and expects the police report to be ready by then.
