Two-and-a-half years after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a grand temple to Hindu god Ram, the shrine is embroiled in an unsavoury row over allegations that donations from devotees worth tens of millions of rupees have been embezzled.

The temple in the once-flashpoint city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh replaced a 16th-century mosque torn down by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots in which nearly 2,000 people died. Since its inauguration in January 2024, the three-storey temple has become one of India's most important pilgrimage centres, attracting an estimated 50 million visitors annually.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the shrine, has denied any wrongdoing. The state government has set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT). Following an interim report, Ayodhya police registered a case of alleged embezzlement on Thursday, naming eight people, all of whom are in custody.

A former city legislator has alleged more than 70 million rupees ($739,550) have gone missing. Trust general secretary Champat Rai said the trust's activities are routinely audited and no discrepancy has been noticed.

The allegations were first made by Mahipal Singh, a former trust employee who supervised the accounts team. Singh has refused to talk to the BBC, citing death threats. Opposition parties are demanding answers from Modi and his BJP, which also rules the state.

Local residents expressed shock. "It's a fatal blow to our religion," said Santosh Puri. Another resident called the allegations "a stain" on the government and the trust, urging action to prevent recurrence.

The SIT has sought more time to complete the inquiry. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged anyone with evidence to submit it. However, there is a growing clamour to hand over the investigation to the federal police, with petitions filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk