Lucknow/Ayodhya: Three weeks, a First Information Report and eight arrests after alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya came to light, conversations with former and current functionaries associated with the temple trust suggest that internal rivalries within the management is what blew the lid off the suspected wrongdoing.
According to several trust insiders who spoke to ThePrint in Ayodhya, the misappropriation scandal was revealed after differences emerged between individuals considered close to three key figures in the trust: general secretary Champat Rai, trustee Anil Mishra and invited member Gopal Rao.
The eight arrested persons, including Tinnu Yadav, Luvkush Mishra and Anukalp Mishra, are believed to have been associated with these influential figures. Sources claim that disputes first erupted among them over irregularities in handling donation cash.
A senior official associated with the trust management told ThePrint that these disputes had been simmering within for nearly two months before becoming public. “Each group was accusing the others of making money through the donation system. Complaints repeatedly reached both Champat Rai and Anil Mishra but no action was taken,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Tinnu Yadav—considered close to Champat Rai—and his nephew Manish Yadav allegedly came under suspicion from others, who accused them of rapidly acquiring properties in and around Ayodhya. In response, Tinnu and Manish allegedly levelled similar allegations against Anukalp Mishra, who is related to Luvkush Mishra.
Both Anukalp and Luvkush Mishra are been regarded as close associates of trustee Anil Mishra. The groups started collecting evidence against each other from outsiders; the allegations leaked out.
Sources associated with the Special Investigation Team (SIT)—constituted by the state government on 13 June to look into the charges—agree with this assessment, claiming that both senior functionaries, Rai and Mishra, were allegedly trying to shield individuals close to them, resulting in no disciplinary action at the time.
The temple premises are secured by four separate agencies: the Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (SSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) and a private security agency.
According to sources, the controversy escalated on 5 June after personnel from the private security agency found cash in the pockets of certain employees, triggering an exchange of accusations between different groups within the temple administration.
On 7 June, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue through a social media post after reportedly being informed by a local party leader from Ayodhya. With this, the controversy entered the national spotlight.
Also on 7 June, Champat Rai publicly denied any irregularities in the donation management system. Sources familiar with the SIT’s preliminary findings, however said that those claims were not supported during the investigation.
A video then surfaced on 9 June, featuring Mahipal Singh, previously associated with the temple’s cash management operations as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In the video, he alleged large-scale irregularities in the handling of donations.
A 30-year-old former outsourced employee told ThePrint that he worked with the temple’s cash counting team between April 2025 and March 2026 on a monthly salary of Rs 15,000. According to him, the alleged manipulation occurred after cash received as donations was bundled and packed into trunks before being sent to banks for deposit. “I witnessed certain people manipulating the cash bundles on several occasions,” he said on condition of anonymity.
The former member of the counting staff said these concerns were reported to Subhash Srivastava, who supervised the cash counting team, but alleged that no action was taken. He further claimed that some members of the cash management team repeatedly advised him to remain silent. Disturbed by what he allegedly witnessed, he eventually resigned. Four other young men also quit for similar reasons, he said.
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Temple trinity
Sources familiar with the trust’s functioning say Champat Rai had long been regarded as its most influential functionary. In 2021, Gopal Rao, a Karnataka-based functionary with an RSS background, was inducted into the trust as an invited member. According to trust insiders, Rao was given authority comparable to that of Champat Rai, and became involved in key decisions related to temple construction.
After the temple’s completion, trustee Anil Mishra reportedly played a major role in the temple’s administrative work. As a resident of Ayodhya, he facilitated the appointment of several people known to him in areas ranging from cash management to other administrative responsibilities.
Over time, insiders say, three distinct camps emerged within the trust: those aligned with Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao.
A senior trust member and Nirmohi Akhara Mahant Acharya Dinendra Das told ThePrint that relations between Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and some other trust members were often strained. He recalled that in the early days of the trust, he and people associated with him were allegedly denied permission to take their vehicles inside the trust premises.
“One day I openly objected and strongly confronted both of them. After that, they stepped back,” Dinendra Das said. He added that despite the Nirmohi Akhara being granted permanent representation in the trust following the Supreme Court verdict, he believed some trust functionaries were uncomfortable with the akhara’s involvement. “Lord Ram has been protected from the stain of this controversy. Whoever is guilty should not be spared,” he said.
Sources also claim that Dinendra Das shares cordial relations with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were generally perceived within the trust as having strong backing from the Centre.
According to trust insiders, differences among senior members were already well known. When the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were tendered, there was an unusual delay in officially confirming them. Eventually, the confirmation came through the trust’s official X account and was announced by trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri, reflecting what sources described as the trust’s internal divisions.
SOPs not followed
Sources associated with the SIT told ThePrint that its preliminary findings pointed to multiple violations of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing the donation-counting process. According to the sources, mandatory protocols including the deployment of a security guard during cash counting, frisking of personnel before entering and after leaving the counting room, and preservation of CCTV footage of the counting process for 180 days were allegedly not followed.
“The SOPs required donation-counting staff to wear clothes without pockets, security deployment through the Sainik Security Services (SIS) agency, compulsory frisking of everyone entering and exiting the counting rooms, and random security checks. None of these norms were followed. CCTV footage of the donation counting process was retained for only 45 days instead of the mandated 180 days,” a source familiar with the SIT’s findings said.
Santosh Dubey, who lodged a formal complaint at the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station alleging embezzlement of temple donations, told ThePrint that the investigation should not stop at the arrests made so far. “This is a major scam. So far action has been taken only against small fish. Senior functionaries of the trust should also be questioned,” Dubey said.
Referring to Ram Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra’s public statement acknowledging that irregularities had taken place, Dubey added, “If such malpractice had been going on for nearly two years, it is difficult to believe that the chairman was completely unaware of it. The investigation should determine who knew what and when.”
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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