Spiritual leader Dhirendra Krishna Shastri on Friday, 4 July 2025, strongly condemned the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, calling it “not just a sin but a great sin,” while urging the public to place their trust in the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and the country’s legal system. Shastri made the remarks upon his arrival at Ayodhya airport, adding to the growing chorus of religious and public figures demanding accountability in the donation misappropriation case.

What Shastri Said

Addressing reporters at the airport, Shastri said: “I have already spoken about this earlier as well, and I have said before that this is not a sin but a great sin, and God will punish it. But I would also like to say that we should all have trust in the law and order of the country and in the SIT, as the investigation is ongoing. I have full faith in the country’s legal system and the government, and all the accused will be punished…”

Shastri had arrived in Ayodhya to pay his respects at the ashram of Mahant Sant Ram Das, the guru of Hanumangarhi priest Raju Das Ji, who recently passed away. He was scheduled to depart from the city later the same day.

The Donation Embezzlement Controversy

The controversy centres on alleged irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Prakash Gupta, the Trust’s Office In-charge, had earlier alleged that the misappropriation was linked to personnel deployed by the State Bank of India (SBI) for counting offerings at the temple under a formal agreement between the bank and the Trust.

Gupta maintained that a Trust member supervised the counting process, but claimed there was no awareness of the alleged theft at the time. He asserted that the responsibility for the counting operations rested with SBI under the existing arrangement, and that the Trust had no direct role in the embezzlement.

Eight Arrested, One Named as Key Accused

The case deepened after eight individuals were arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement. According to Gupta, the accused were associated with the donation-counting process. One of them, identified as Tinnu Yadav, reportedly oversaw the counting operations and certain maintenance activities within the temple premises.

Notably, this is not the first time the management of temple donations in India has come under scrutiny. The case has drawn parallels with earlier controversies at prominent religious sites, where opaque collection mechanisms were found to enable pilferage over extended periods.

Political and Public Fallout

The allegations have triggered widespread political and public attention. Several leaders and religious figures have called for greater transparency and accountability in the administration of one of India’s most prominent religious institutions. The Ram Temple, consecrated in January 2024, attracts millions of devotees and substantial daily offerings, making the integrity of its donation management a matter of national public interest.

With the SIT investigation ongoing, all eyes are now on whether the probe will extend beyond the arrested individuals to examine systemic gaps in the Trust’s financial oversight framework.