Ram Temple Donation Row: Donors Allege Missing Silver, Gold Donations and Pending Donation Receipts

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THE RAM TEMPLE DONATION CONTROVERSY has come under intense scrutiny after reports emerged of alleged embezzlement happening behind closed doors. According to a report by Bhaskar English, donations worth Rs 7 crore were allegedly embezzled.

The allegations surfaced after a video of Mahipal Singh, who claimed to be the temple's former accounts in charge, went viral. In the video, he accused the temple's bank team of colluding to manipulate the donations received by the temple. 

The Ram Mandir was inaugurated in 2024 and has welcomed crores of devotees since its consecration. However, the recent donation scam at the holy temple has raised serious questions among donors about the temple trust.

See Also: It is Not a Ram Temple, It is a BJP Temple

Donors Raise Concerns Over Missing Gold and Silver Donations

Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) North India head Anurag Rastogi told Aaj Tak about a donation made before the Bhoomi Pujan held in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020. He stated that the association had donated 39.26 kg of silver, which was reportedly nowhere to be found during the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony.

He further added that he had also donated a 3 kg silver lamp anonymously on behalf of his family. “In the capacity of North India head of the IBJA, we donated 30 pieces of silver items weighing 34.64 kg and four silver bricks weighing 4.62 kg,” stated Rastogi.

As quoted by The Lallantop, Rastogi stated that all the donations were nowhere to be found during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony and added that he had not tried to inquire about it, as he had full faith in the temple trust. He showed all the receipts for the donations made to the temple and claimed that 60 kg worth of silver had been donated to the temple.

Apart from this, Rastogi further showed a picture from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the temple and pointed towards the silver lamp donated by him and his wife. Another devotee, Anil Vishwakarma, a Mumbai-based businessman, offered a silver garland weighing 3 kilograms and a silver chain paduka (footwear) to the temple in 2025. He claimed that he has not received a receipt for the donation even now. 

See Also: Ram Mandir Needs CEO: Nripendra Misra Says There is No Order Among 1,500 Volunteers Amid Donation Theft Probe

SIT to Submit Preliminary Report to CM Yogi Adityanath

Since the Ram Mandir donation row came to light, a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the embezzlement allegations. According to sources, the investigation has identified nearly 150 suspects in the case.

A preliminary report by the SIT will be submitted to CM Yogi Adityanath on June 22, 2026. As per sources quoted by PTI, the SIT has flagged major discrepancies in the official records of gold, silver, diamonds, and other valuables.

Bhaskar English reported that donations have significantly decreased since the controversy erupted. The donation boxes at the temple used to receive Rs 8–12 lakh per day, but the figure has reportedly fallen to around Rs 1 lakh a day, sources said.

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(Edited by Khushboo Singh)

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