Overview
- An FIR filed on June 25 prompted the detention of eight people and the seizure of roughly ₹79.85 lakh plus small amounts of gold, silver and foreign currency during initial searches.
- The three‑member Special Investigation Team has had its tenure extended and its mandate broadened to examine the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s accounts from its February 5, 2020 formation and to carry out a re‑audit covering the past five years.
- Senior trust officials including general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned, and investigators have questioned multiple trustees and staff about donation collection, counting, transport, storage and banking arrangements.
- Political and legal pressure is rising with opposition calls to dissolve the trust, a PIL seeking a Supreme Court‑supervised forensic audit and CBI takeover, and public statements from the RSS demanding severe punishment for anyone found guilty.
- Temple administrations and committees across the sector have ordered tighter donation controls and inquiries, while some reports claim preliminary losses of about ₹200 crore; that figure remains unconfirmed and under forensic review.