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Ayodhya Ram temple trust treasurer claims he had no role in collecting daily donations

Scroll | July 6, 2026 1:40 PM CST

The treasurer of the trust that manages the Ram temple at Ayodhya on Sunday claimed that he had no role in the daily donations collection process there, PTI reported.

Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, made the assertion in the context of allegations about the embezzlement of donations made to the temple. The statement came a day before a key meeting of the trust, the first one since the controversy erupted.

Since the allegations first surfaced, a group of seers in Ayodhya has demanded that Giri’s role be investigated, contending that as the treasurer of the trust, he cannot be absolved of accountability.

Giri claimed on Sunday that the donations process had been overseen by local trustees, PTI reported. He said that all audit reports were safe and could be inspected by authorised persons.

The treasurer said that while maintaining accounts is his responsibility, because he travels often, chartered accountant associates from the trust’s Pune office go to Ayodhya in the last four to five days of every month to check the accounts and provide assistance to the trust’s office staff, India Today reported.

Giri further claimed that all trust expenditures are made directly through banks, and that he is not an authorised signatory for the transactions.

“We are neither for nor against...