India, June 30 -- The alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has shifted the spotlight from individual wrongdoing to larger questions about oversight and accountability at one of India's richest religious institutions. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust received Rs.82.78 crore in donations between April 2025 and February 2026 and manages investments worth around Rs.2,100 crore.

As investigators widen their probe, five questions lie at the heart of the controversy.

Investigators say cash collected from around 40 donation boxes passed through several manual stages, including collection, transportation, sorting, counting, bundling and eventual bank deposits.

The SIT is examining whether sufficient safegu...