Indian police are investigating allegations of embezzlement at a temple in Uttar Pradesh state. The Ram Mandir temple was inaugurated in 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that a Special Investigations Team (SIT) has been set up to look into alleged syphoning of cash offerings made by devotees.
The scale of the alleged embezzlement is unclear, but opposition parties and local media reports say it could amount to more than $20 million. The construction of the temple cost an estimated $240 million, all sourced from public donations. Daily offerings average around $10,000, with amounts reaching up to $60,000 on auspicious days.
Devout Hindus claim that the god Ram was born in Ayodhya over 7,000 years ago, but a Babri mosque was built over his birthplace by Mughal emperor Babur. India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party played an instrumental role in public campaigning that eventually led to the mosque’s demolition in 1992.