Supreme Court orders all Banke Bihari temple donations to go to the deity

In a session held in New Delhi, the Supreme Court sharply criticized a report alleging that sevayats at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan were siphoning off devotees’ offerings. According to senior advocate Maninder Singh, volunteers would conceal the temple’s donation box with flowers, preventing worshippers from depositing money, and then take the cash away. The court dismissed arguments that an earlier decree allowed sevayats to retain a portion of the funds.

A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India ordered that all contributions must be placed in the temple’s donation receptacles or credited to its designated online account. The ruling stressed that donations are first and foremost dedicated to the deity, from which any temple-related duties may draw their share. This directive aims to ensure transparency and proper allocation of religious donations.