Jagannathpur Temple hit by allegations of financial irregularities

Surendra Soren

Ranchi

Allegations of serious financial irregularities have emerged at the historic Jagannathpur Temple in Ranchi, prompting demands for an independent probe into the shrine’s financial affairs.

Temple devotee Ajay Kumar has written to the branch manager of Canara Bank’s Dhurwa branch, seeking an impartial investigation after the newly constituted Jagannathpur Temple Trust Committee reportedly uncovered irregularities while reviewing financial records over the past two months.

According to the complaint, the temple trust has allegedly been operating its bank account using the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the now-defunct Jagannathpur Temple Renovation Committee instead of having its own PAN. The complaint claims that fixed deposit interest attracted monthly TDS deductions of around ₹15,000-20,000 under the old PAN, raising questions over compliance with statutory norms.

Ajay Kumar further alleged that several expenditure bills worth thousands to lakhs of rupees were prepared on plain paper or self-designed letterheads without valid GST invoices. He also claimed that no statutory audit or mandatory returns had been filed for the past four to five years. The complaint additionally questioned the bank’s Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance, alleging that the account continued to operate despite the absence of a valid PAN and updated KYC documents.

Sources said the trust recently applied for a PAN online, but the application was reportedly marked defective by the Income Tax Department and remains pending.

Trust committee member Bharat Tiwari also alleged financial mismanagement, claiming withdrawals were being made without following the prescribed authorisation process. He further alleged that the trust, constituted in the 1980s, still lacks a registered trust deed, bylaws and PAN, and said a complaint has been submitted to the district administration seeking a detailed inquiry.

Repeated attempts to obtain the response of Jagannathpur Mandir Nyas Committee President and former IAS officer N.N. Pandey and Treasurer Vinod Kumar went unanswered.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 16, while the Jharkhand High Court is scheduled to hear a petition on July 7 challenging the constitution of the newly formed temple trust committee. The petition, filed by former committee secretary Chandrakant Raipat, questions the legality of the trust’s reconstitution and alleges that he was removed from his post without due process.