The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, an independent trust that manages the shrine, held its first meeting on Monday after allegations of donation theft emerged last month.

The trust had previously denied any wrongdoing. But the state government set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations.

Following an interim report by the SIT, the Ayodhya police registered a case of alleged embezzlement, naming eight people. They were arrested and were being questioned, police said.

After Monday’s meeting, the trust’s treasurer, Govind Dev Giri, said in a press conference that Rai and another official, Anil Mishra, had resigned after the police filed a complaint on June 25.

He appointed retired forest officer Krishna Mohan as acting general secretary. Mohan is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an umbrella organization for Hindu nationalist groups, including Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Giri also said a new CEO position had been created, adding that a three-member panel would recommend names for it.

Giving details of the donations received by the temple, Giri said the trust, which collects, sorts and counts offerings, had received Rs 5.82 billion ($61 million; £45.63 million) from devotees till March 31, 2026. It had spent Rs 3.19 billion ($33.48 million; £25 million) of the collections on maintaining the shrine, he added.

In his first comments, Mohan said his “priority was to identify and close any loopholes so that these incidents are never repeated.” The accusations, he added, had affected the image of the trust and generated distrust in society.

Allegations of theft at one of India’s most revered and politically consequential temples were made by a former accounts supervisor who says he was fired after raising concerns about alleged internal irregularities.

His claims became a major political row, with opposition parties questioning the handling of cash, jewellery, gold and silver donated by devotees.

Petitions were filed with the state high court and the Supreme Court requesting a court-supervised investigation by federal law enforcement.

It is not clear how much money has been stolen, but a former city legislator claims that more than Rs 70 million has been stolen., external ($739,550; £560,420) has disappeared.

Champat Rai had earlier rejected allegations that donations or offerings had been handled improperly.

At Monday’s press conference, Giri did not say how much money or valuables were stolen, but demanded strict action against those involved and said the trust’s main concern was the damage caused to the sentiments of devotees and the credibility of the institution, The Indian Express reported., external reported.

“Whether the theft was small or large comes later. The atmosphere that has been created is what has harmed us all,” he said.

The construction of the temple was “a moment of immense joy” and “the incident of the theft of donation boxes during the counting is deeply painful and shameful for all of us,” he added.

Giri also said that “the temple administrators did not commit the theft,” news agency ANI reported.

“This betrayal was perpetrated by people whom Champat Rai, whom we consider a truly noble and great soul, trusted and held close for so many years. It was those people who betrayed that trust,” he added.

Giri said the trust would next meet on July 22 and hoped the police would have submitted their final report by then.

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