Authorities at the grand temple to Hindu god Ram in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya have announced a leadership overhaul after allegations that tens of millions of rupees received in donations have been stolen.

The trust that manages the shrine said it had accepted the resignation of general secretary Champat Rai and replaced him with an interim official.

Inaugurated in January 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the temple has become one of India’s most important pilgrimage centres and attracts 50 million visitors annually.

One of Modi’s election promises, it replaced a 16th-Century mosque torn down by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking nationwide riots in which nearly 2,000 people died.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust – an independent trust which manages the shrine – held its first meeting on Monday after allegations of donation thefts surfaced last month.

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

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