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₹1 million ‘missing’ from Pahari Mandir accounts; ‘responsible’ official claims conspiracy
Financial irregularities at Ranchi Pahari Mandir revealed ₹1.1 million in unverified disbursements, prompting protests and calls for an independent inquiry.
Financial irregularities surfaced in the accounts of the iconic Ranchi Pahari Mandir, exposing a deep web of administrative misconduct and unaccounted funds. An internal audit recently uncovered over ₹1.1 million in unverified disbursements disguised under a vague ledger category titled “Loans and Advances.”
These massive cash outlays withdrawn from the temple’s official bank accounts between February and November 2024 completely lack valid receipts, expense vouchers, or formal management approval. Instead of funding temple maintenance or religious festivals, public donations were quietly funnelled directly into the private accounts of individual recipients and external boards.
The core issue revolves around a ledger containing 12 distinct entries that have raised serious legal red flags. According to internal audit report, these funds were distributed directly from temple bank accounts as personal loans, but no official justification or authorisation records exist.
The ledger reflects multiple distinct payments made to Neha Sahu in the amounts of ₹1,00,000 and ₹80,000. Additionally, an unexplained reversal entry of - ₹ 1,00,000 was recorded without any corresponding rectification note or management authorisation. The true nature of this reversal and the final status of the funds remain unverified.
A total sum of ₹2,60,000 was systematically disbursed to Rakesh Sinha, general secretary of the Jharkhand Congress and a member of the temple committee. These payments were split into repeated payouts across three separate dates: August, October, and November 2024. No contractual agreement or service procurement records exist to justify these payments.
A major fund outflow of ₹4,00,000 was executed in favour of the Jharkhand Rajya Hindu Dharmik Nyas. While directed to a statutory body, this large sum was erroneously classified as a “Sundry Debtor” payout. No official receipt or acknowledgement of funds from the Trust Board has been submitted to file.
Unsecured loans and advances were distributed from the organisation’s core funds to private individuals. This includes a payout of ₹1,50,000 to Ashish Kumar and a separate payout of ₹1,50,000 to Rinku Devi. Neither individual has provided repayment schedules, collateral, or evidence of eligibility for these advances.
The newly appointed temple administration, operating under the banner of Ranchi Pahari Mandir Samiti, released a “Financial Transparency and Accountability Report” to distance itself from the growing public fury.
The committee clarified all these problematic transactions occurred under the previous committee’s tenure, which was supervised directly by the state’s Hindu Dharmik Nyas.
Local devotees, operating under the banner of Bhole Ki Fauj, launched protests on the streets of Ranchi, demanding a full independent inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of temple offerings.
“We will not let our centre of faith become a political playground. Pahari Mandir is not a hub for politics,” the transparency report stated, highlighting the growing anxiety surrounding the administration.
The case remains highly volatile as the Jharkhand High Court reviews ongoing petitions concerning the arbitrary dissolution and restructuring of the temple’s governing committees. Devotees are now demanding that official administrative figures, like the Ranchi deputy commissioner, be reinstated to ensure fair financial oversight and restore sanctity to the historic shrine.
Responding to the allegations, Rakesh Kumar Sinha, who was secretary of the Ranchi Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti during the period when the financial irregularities allegedly took place categorically rejected the claims, labelling them as a deliberate conspiracy to defame his tenure.
According to Sinha, who also heads the Jharkhand Congress media department, the financial discrepancies are the direct result of a targeted criminal raid on the temple office. “On October 3, 2024, a group of 10 to 15 unidentified anti-social elements forcibly barged into the temple office, tore down official committee posters, and created a chaotic environment designed to intimidate staff,” Sinha stated.
Sinha said the intruders broke into the office files and stole vital, sensitive documents detailing the temple’s official income-and-expense records, alongside several loose blank cheque books.
Sinha said a formal police complaint was filed at that time at the Sukhdeo Nagar Police Station, explicitly naming Mukesh Agrawal and Sunil Mathur as key orchestrators seen occupying administrative seats without authorisation.
According to Sinha, full and unedited CCTV camera footage capturing the entire break-in and the theft of the files has already been submitted to the police. He maintained that the circulating ledger entries completely ignored the fact that the official financial records and cheque books were compromised during a hostile takeover attempt by a rival faction. A police investigation into the matter is currently underway.
Amid report of missing fund and allegation of conspiracy the Pahari Mandir Vikas Sangharsh Samiti, a newly constituted body to save the iconic temple from corruption and mismanagement, held an emergency meeting on May 10.
“The committee halted boundary wall construction pending an official survey of the 26-acre land. It demanded a full financial audit since 1992 and a transparent account of the ₹6.74 crore tourism grant. To ensure devotee safety and preserve sanctity, the Samiti mandated structured ritual timings, demanded geological conservation of the eroding Khondalite rock, and called for a crackdown on drug abuse on the premises,” said Nishant Yadav, an active member of the Samiti.
Jharkhand HC advocate Abhay Mishra, who is close to the matter said the dispute continues for the last more than two years.
“The two-year management dispute over Ranchi’s Pahari Mandir involves a fierce power struggle between the Ranchi Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, led by local administrators, and the Jharkhand State Hindu Religious Trust Board. The conflict ignited in late 2023 when the state board attempted to supersede the local committee, a move the Jharkhand High Court later quashed. Despite legal setbacks, the state board dissolved the committee again in April 2026, triggering a contempt petition. This administrative deadlock fuelled financial corruption allegations, police complaints over stolen temple records, and physical clashes on temple grounds, keeping the site under tense judicial scrutiny,” Mishra said.
