Ram Mandir Funds: Audit Accounts for ₹3,300 Crore, Govt Sources Reject Scam Claims

The Ram Mandir funds collected for the Ayodhya temple project have been fully accounted for in an independent audit, according to government sources, who have rejected allegations of a large-scale financial scam involving the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The clarification comes amid scrutiny over the handling of donations after a reported theft involving cash during the manual sorting process. Officials said the incident was limited to the physical handling of currency before it was processed through counting machines and did not indicate any wider financial irregularity within the temple trust.

According to the information shared by government sources, close to ₹3,300 crore collected through public donations has been accounted for and audited by external auditors V Sankar Aiyer & Co. The sources said major payments connected with the temple project were routed through established banking channels.

Where the ₹3,300 crore was spent

Government sources said approximately ₹1,800 crore has been spent on temple construction, while nearly ₹400 crore was used for land acquisition.

A key point in the government’s clarification is that these major expenditures were not made through cash. Officials said payments for construction and land purchases were processed through authorised banking channels, providing a formal financial trail.

The clarification is particularly significant because questions had also been raised over the cost of land acquired for the temple project.

Officials attributed the higher acquisition costs to market conditions after the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict and to payments associated with commercial properties and structures located on the acquired land. According to the sources, land payments were made directly from authorised accounts to the concerned parties.

Theft investigation concerns cash sorting

The controversy surrounding the temple’s finances is linked to a separate issue involving physical cash.

According to government sources, the reported theft took place while donated currency was being manually sorted before being processed through machines. Six contractual workers engaged through Sainik Security Services (SSS), an agency contracted by the State Bank of India, were identified with the help of CCTV footage and arrested.

Officials stressed that the accused were not members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust or its administration.

This distinction is important because a theft involving cash-handling personnel is different from evidence of funds being diverted from the trust’s accounts. The government sources said the incident should therefore not be interpreted as proof of a systemic financial scam.

SIT probe continues

The investigation into the alleged theft is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Government sources said the probe is being overseen by the Supreme Court and is being handled under the supervision of senior IPS officers.

The continuing investigation means the exact circumstances surrounding the cash-sorting incident remain subject to the findings of investigators.

For now, the government’s position is that the alleged theft and the broader financial accounts of the temple trust are two separate matters.

What about donations after the controversy?

Another point highlighted by officials is the continued flow of donations to the temple.

According to official figures cited by government sources, monthly Hundi collections remained around ₹5 crore during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year. Officials said this indicated that the controversy had not resulted in an apparent fall in devotees’ contributions.

However, donation figures alone cannot establish the absence or presence of financial wrongdoing. They are relevant mainly as an indication of how contribution levels have behaved following the controversy.

Why the audit matters

The Ram Mandir project has received contributions from devotees across India and abroad, making financial accountability an important public issue.

With thousands of crores involved, the distinction between audited funds, routine cash-handling losses or theft, and allegations of organised financial misconduct is significant. The government’s latest clarification focuses on that distinction, arguing that the audited accounts do not support claims of a large-scale scam.

At the same time, the ongoing investigation into the cash-sorting incident means authorities still have to establish how the alleged theft occurred and whether additional safeguards are required.

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The episode also highlights the challenges of handling large quantities of physical donations. Greater reliance on automated counting, tighter supervision and stronger monitoring of cash-handling operations could reduce the scope for similar incidents in the future.

For devotees and the public, the key issue now is whether the investigation provides a complete account of the reported theft while financial records continue to remain subject to established auditing and oversight mechanisms.

Based on the government sources cited in the latest reports, the ₹3,300 crore collected for the Ram Mandir project has been accounted for, while the reported theft is being treated as an isolated cash-sorting incident rather than evidence of a wider financial scam. The final findings of the ongoing investigation will be important in establishing the full facts surrounding the cash-handling case.