A deepening scandal over missing donations meant for India’s Ram temple in Ayodhya has sparked fury among British Hindus, with community leaders demanding a full forensic audit of the temple trust’s finances. Sources close to the investigation confirm that sums totalling tens of millions of rupees, collected from devotees in the UK and wired to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, have allegedly been siphoned off through a network of shell companies.
Documents obtained by this newsroom show that between 2020 and 2023, at least £2.3 million raised by UK-based Hindu organisations never reached the official temple construction fund. Instead, the money was diverted to accounts registered in Dubai and Singapore, linked to intermediaries with no known role in the temple project.
“We are talking about funds collected from hard-working families who saved for years to contribute. This is a betrayal of faith,” said Rajesh Patel, a trustee of the London Hindu Temple Trust, who first raised the alarm after a whistleblower came forward.
The trust’s management, chaired by a former Supreme Court judge, has dismissed the allegations as “baseless and malicious,” claiming all funds are accounted for. But auditors hired by the UK community have found discrepancies in the trust’s publicly filed statements. A leaked internal report, marked “confidential”, reveals that receipts for several large donations were issued without corresponding bank entries.
The controversy threatens to strain ties between the UK’s 1.5 million-strong Hindu diaspora and the Indian government, which has backed the temple project heavily. The Ram temple, built on the site of a demolished mosque, was inaugurated in January 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called it a “national pride”.
But for British Hindus, the issue is less about politics and more about transparency. “We have been donating for decades, and we trust that our money is used for the stated purpose,” said Meera Sinha, a retired schoolteacher from Leicester, who donated £5,000. “Now we feel cheated.”
Community groups have written to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, urging it to investigate the UK-based organisations that collected the funds. One such group, the British Hindu Foundation, has already suspended its fundraising activities pending a probe.
The trust has promised to “clarify all matters publicly” by the end of the month. But critics say the promises ring hollow. “They had three years to sort this out. Instead, they stonewalled us until we went public,” said Patel.
A forensic accountant working for the UK community has traced the diverted funds to a web of 14 entities, none of which are registered as charities. The trail leads to two men: a former trust employee who now lives in the UAE, and a Dubai-based businessman with ties to the construction industry. Both have declined to comment.
As the scandal unfolds, the UK Hindu community is rallying for accountability. Hundreds gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London last week, holding placards demanding “Where is our donation?” and “Reform the trust now.”
The trust’s response has been defensive, accusing foreign donors of “playing politics” with a sacred project. But for those who gave from the heart, the wound is fresh. “This is not about politics,” said Sinha, her voice cracking. “It is about trust.”
