Former Union Home Secretary S Lakshminarayanan has alleged that a gold-plated copy of the Ramcharitmanas, donated by his family to the Ram Temple and valued at about Rs 5 crore, has been moved from the Ram Temple.
This has added fuel to fire, which has already engulfed Ram Mandir Trust accused of misappropriating donations.
Lakshminarayanan stated that his family donated the gold-plated Ramcharitmanas to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in April 2024. He claimed that the religious text was moved from the temple premises.
Lakshminarayanan further explained that Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai had informed him that every offering made to the temple cannot be displayed in the Mandir.
The allegation comes while authorities are investigating a separate case involving alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple. It has taken serious note since it has been raised by a former IAS officer, who has donated the scripture. Secondly, the donation in question is reportedly valued in crores, making it a significant issue beyond typical temple administration concerns.
The Ramcharitmanas, composed by Goswami Tulsidas, is a revered text within the Ram devotional tradition. A gold-plated copy donated to the Ram Temple was therefore not only a valuable object but also a symbolic offering connected to the temple's broader religious and national significance.
SIT already investigating the embezzlement
A Special Investigation Team has been examining whether offerings, including cash, gold and silver, were siphoned off from the donation-counting process.
Earlier concerns had also been raised over donated silver bars and bricks, including a silver brick associated with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. The SIT has reportedly dismissed some speculation around a large-scale disappearance of silver bars, but the broader investigation has continued to widen.
Investigators are also looking into whether stolen gold and silver ornaments may have been melted and converted into other forms to make tracing them harder. Multiple searches have been carried out, and several people linked to the donation-counting process have been arrested.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
