Lucknow: An audit review has found no irregularities in the funds received as public donations for the Ayodhya Ram temple, according to sources in the Union government.
Allegations of large-scale misappropriation in offerings and donations had surfaced in June, prompting sharp criticism from opposition parties including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party. Following a complaint from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, police registered a case and began an investigation.
A three-member Special Investigation Team appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government examined CCTV footage from the temple परिसर, including the cash-counting centre. The inquiry found that temporary staff working at the counting facility were involved in wrongdoing, leading to the arrest of eight people.
Officials said the trust’s overall public contribution of Rs 3,300 crore was fully audited by an external audit firm and the accounts were found to be in order. Expenditure of Rs 1,800 crore on construction and Rs 400 crore on land acquisition was carried out entirely through bank transactions, with no cash dealings.
The audit concluded that there was no corruption or accounting irregularity in the trust’s records, and that the incident was limited to theft at the centre where donation boxes are counted manually. Officials said stricter security measures are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
