The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Seva Samiti on Wednesday, 1 July called on the Central government to step into the ongoing probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds and donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, arguing that federal oversight would lend greater credibility to the investigation. Achyut Shankar Shukla, general secretary of the Samiti, made the appeal amid growing scrutiny over the financial management of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Why the Samiti Wants Central Oversight

Shukla grounded his demand in the Trust's origins: the body was constituted on the direction of the Supreme Court and formally established by the Central government. He argued that this lineage gives New Delhi both the authority and the responsibility to intervene. 'Accordingly, the Central government had formed the Trust. So now if the Centre itself conducts an investigation into the matter, then it would no longer remain a state subject,' he said.

He added that the Centre could hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if it chose to do so. At present, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Police is handling the case.

Eight Arrested in Alleged Donation Siphoning Case

Following the SIT's formation, police have arrested eight individuals — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav. All eight are accused of conspiring to siphon off cash and valuables from the temple's donation pool. According to Shukla, all those arrested held Trust-issued identity cards, which were required for entry given the heavy security at the premises.

Shukla offered specific details about one of the accused. He said Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav possessed a wireless set and represented the Trust at functions organised by the Samiti. 'Whenever our Samiti organised a religious function, we used to go to the Trust with a kalash. Along with police officials, Tinnu Yadav and another Trust member came to receive us on behalf of the organisation,' he said. He noted that archival footage of these interactions exists, though he stated he had no knowledge of whose instructions the accused may have followed.

Saints, Not Bureaucrats, Should Lead Temple Affairs

Responding to suggestions that the Trust's functioning should be placed under bureaucratic supervision, Shukla was categorical in his opposition. 'It is a religious matter, and those in the knowledge of it should do it. It is the responsibility of our religious leaders to perform the worship of the Lord according to the scriptures and not of any bureaucracy,' he said.

He did, however, carve out a limited role for administrative machinery — specifically in managing the security of funds and logistics for pilgrims visiting the temple. The distinction he drew was between spiritual governance, which he said must remain with Hindu religious leaders, and operational management, where he acknowledged bureaucratic competence.

Strained Relations With the Trust

Shukla's remarks also surfaced what appears to be a longstanding friction between the Samiti and the Trust. He stated that festivities had largely been carried out with support from the police and local administration rather than the Trust itself. 'It is not hidden that we never received the desired assistance from the Ram Mandir Trust,' he said, a comment that points to institutional tensions beyond the immediate embezzlement allegations.

He also stressed that a proper investigation is already underway, and was careful to add that raising questions over the faith of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in this context was, in his view, 'improper'. As the SIT probe continues, the Samiti's demand for central agency involvement is likely to intensify political and institutional scrutiny around the management of one of India's most prominent religious sites.