PIL in Allahabad High Court Seeks CBI-Monitored Probe into Alleged Financial Irregularities in Ayodhya Ram Temple Donations

June 13, 2026 : A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking a court-supervised and time-bound investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving donations collected at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya.

The petition, filed by Advocate Mohit Ashok, calls for an independent probe monitored by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged misappropriation of devotees’ offerings, including cash donations as well as deposits of gold and silver. It also seeks directions to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the accounts maintained by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

According to the plea, concerns regarding the handling of temple donations emerged following a media report published on June 8, which highlighted alleged discrepancies in donation management and internal financial controls. The petition states that several Trust employees were reportedly detained by police during a preliminary inquiry and that approximately ₹5 lakh was allegedly recovered from a bank account linked to one of the employees.

The petitioner contends that despite these developments, the Trust’s response has largely been limited to publicly denying the allegations rather than initiating a structured internal investigation or seeking external oversight.

The PIL further relies on statements allegedly made by former Head of Accounts Mahipal Singh, who served the Trust between January 2021 and March-April 2022. Singh reportedly claimed that systematic irregularities existed in the counting and recording of cash donations. The petition alleges that cash collections amounting to around ₹12 lakh were at times reflected as ₹9-10 lakh in official records, raising concerns about possible diversion of funds.

The plea also alleges that complaints regarding financial discrepancies were brought to the attention of senior Trust functionaries, including General Secretary Champat Rai and spokesperson Gopal Rao, but no formal inquiry was initiated. Instead, the whistleblower was allegedly removed from the accounting process.

Additionally, the petition raises concerns about the reported deletion of several months of CCTV footage, which it claims could amount to destruction of potential electronic evidence. It further alleges that donation chests containing gold and silver items were removed without proper accounting entries or receipts, with only photographs maintained as records.

Arguing that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust functions as a public trust managing assets on behalf of millions of devotees, the petitioner has asserted that the institution is subject to heightened standards of transparency and accountability. The PIL cites the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya judgment in support of the contention that the Trust’s operations warrant public scrutiny where allegations of financial misconduct arise.

The petition states that representations seeking a CBI investigation were previously submitted to various authorities, including the Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Department, the Director General of Police, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, no independent investigation has reportedly been initiated so far.

The matter is expected to come up for hearing before the Allahabad High Court next week. It is important to note that the allegations contained in the PIL are yet to be judicially examined, and no findings have been recorded by the Court on the merits of the claims.