Spiritual leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Friday, 26 June called for a thorough investigation into the Ram Temple donation theft controversy, asserting that the resignation of one or two officials is far from sufficient and that the full scale of the alleged misappropriation — which he pegged at ₹1,000 crore — must be exposed. His remarks came as two senior figures of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust stepped down and eight accused were arrested in connection with the case.

Krishnam's Core Demand: Depth Over Optics

'This theft did not take place at any trader's shop or a businessman's factory. This is the loot of people's faith. One or two resignations do not matter,' Acharya Pramod Krishnam said. He pressed further: 'There is a need to go into the depth of the matter. This is not just about Rs 200 crore, but a matter of Rs 1,000 crore. Who committed this sin? It should be revealed.'

Krishnam also drew a distinction between institutional power and moral responsibility. 'Holding a position does not matter, but upholding religion does,' he said, framing the resignations as a necessary but insufficient first step toward restoring accountability.

Trust Chiefs Step Down on Moral Grounds

Days after the alleged misappropriation of temple funds triggered a national controversy, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chief Champat Rai and Trust member Anil Mishra resigned from their positions, according to credible sources. Uttar Pradesh government sources confirmed that both stepped down on moral grounds, amid mounting pressure following preliminary findings submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that flagged lapses in the handling of donations at the temple.

The Trust is entrusted with overseeing day-to-day operations and the management of offerings to Lord Ram — making the lapse in oversight a matter of particular gravity.

Eight Arrested After FIR Filed

An FIR was lodged against eight individuals — including temple attendants, counting staff, and former bank officials — who allegedly acted in collusion to siphon off temple funds. All eight accused were arrested and taken into custody. Those named in the FIR include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu.

According to reports, offerings and valuables worth hundreds of crores were misappropriated by temple staff allegedly in connivance with bank officials — a development described as a shock to crores of devotees in India and abroad.

Krishnam on Opposition Criticism

Reacting to sustained Opposition attacks over the controversy, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said the Opposition was attempting to 'defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and the Ram Mandir.' He argued that the same Opposition had historically opposed the construction of the Ram Temple and cautioned that 'people's faith in Lord Ram will never diminish.'

He also expressed confidence that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would ensure a transparent investigation, saying the people of the country placed their trust in both leaders to handle the matter with integrity.

What Comes Next

With the SIT's preliminary findings already submitted and eight accused in custody, the investigation is expected to widen. The scale of the alleged misappropriation — and the involvement of bank officials alongside temple staff — points to a systemic failure of oversight that will likely draw further scrutiny of the Trust's internal controls. Demands for an independent audit of temple donations are expected to intensify in the days ahead.