What exactly happened in the Ram Mandir donation case?

Accused arrested and taken into custody on Friday. FILE PIC/PTI

The alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has snowballed into a major controversy, with an SIT probe finding lapses in the shrine's donation management system and eight people associated with the counting of cash and valuables being arrested.

While the details of how the donations were siphoned and exactly how much are still under investigation, the special investigation team (SIT) has pointed to some major lapses in its preliminary report.

Tinu Yadav arrested. FILE PIC/PTI

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) like deploying a security guard during a counting process, frisking of personnel while entering and leaving the counting room, and preserving CCTV footage of the donation-counting process for 180 days were violated, sources said, citing the findings of the report.

In violation of rules, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, the former driver of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, held keys to several "hundis" (donation boxes), they said. According to the sources, nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash and foreign currency, has been recovered from six of the eight accused so far.

How much at stake?

Since its inauguration in January 2024, the Ram Mandir has attracted substantial public contributions. On the very first day of public opening in 2024, devotees offered nearly Rs 3.17 crore. According to the Trust, in the first 11 days of opening, the Ram Mandir reportedly received around Rs 11 crore in donations averaging nearly Rs 1 crore per day.

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