Ayodhya Ram Temple donation row: Audit report had flagged financial management lapses in 2020

The alleged misuse of cash donations and gold and silver ornaments offered by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has become one of the biggest financial controversies in the country. A new revelation has shown that a private audit firm had warned the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust about serious management problems in November 2020.

The report had said that donation records were not being maintained properly and advised the trust to put a strong Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in place. However, these suggestions were not acted upon.

The trust was formed on February 5, 2020, after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ram temple. Since then, it has received an estimated ₹3,500 crore in cash donations along with gold, silver and other valuable items from devotees.

According to the audit report, there was no proper management system, staff handling was unprofessional and there were no checks to verify transactions or data entry. The report also warned that there was no proper stock register for jewellery and precious metals. It further pointed out weak data security, which increased the risk of financial fraud and data theft.

The Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member SIT on June 13 after allegations of donation misuse surfaced and ₹10 lakh was recovered from the house of a trust employee. In its preliminary report, the SIT found a lack of transparency in cash handling, missing records of gold and silver donations, irregularities in tender and purchase processes, and cases of relatives being given jobs in the temple administration.

The SIT also said its investigation has become difficult because CCTV footage is stored for only 45 days. It has recommended increasing the backup period to 180 days and making daily donation records and weekly audits compulsory.