Ayodhya, July 6 -- The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged embezzlement of devotees' donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Trust also appointed senior trustee Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary, announced a three-member committee to identify a chief executive officer (CEO) for the temple trust, and said it would overhaul its donation management system as it seeks to restore public confidence ahead of the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) final report expected later this month.
The decisions were taken during a more than three-hour meeting chaired by Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. According to sources, extraordinary secrecy was maintained during the deliberations. No security personnel were allowed inside the meeting room and all participants deposited their mobile phones before entering. Of the Trust's 15 members, nine attended in person while two joined virtually. Rai and Mishra did not attend the meeting.
Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said Rai and Mishra had submitted their resignations after allegations surfaced over the theft of crores of rupees in cash donations and other offerings made by devotees. He said the Trust accepted the resignations because, under its constitution, they became effective once submitted. Senior trustee K Parasaran had advised that the Trust had no discretion to reject them.
Giri said Rai voluntarily stepped down because he believed it was not appropriate to continue in office until the investigation was completed and those responsible were brought to justice. At the same time, the Trust unanimously acknowledged Rai's contribution to the Ram Temple movement and construction. Defending him, Giri said Rai was "untainted in my eyes" and suggested his only mistake may have been trusting the wrong people.
Krishna Mohan, who will serve as interim general secretary until a permanent appointment is made, said his immediate priority would be to remove loopholes in the temple's management system, strengthen administrative processes and restore the confidence of devotees. He said the controversy had exposed weaknesses in the existing arrangements and assured that anyone found guilty would face appropriate punishment.
The Trust also announced the formation of a three-member search committee to identify a CEO for the temple trust. The panel comprises retired judge Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and trustee Suresh Haware. Giri said the CEO would help strengthen transparency and administration, while Krishna Mohan would be free to choose a team to assist him during the transition.
The donation theft case is being investigated by a three-member SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 after the Trust itself sought a high-level probe. According to investigators, employees involved in counting temple offerings allegedly stole cash on nearly 70 occasions over a period of 40 days. Investigators have also claimed the accused knew about CCTV blind spots and at times switched off or blocked cameras while removing currency notes.
Police have arrested eight people so far, most of them involved in handling and counting donations. Those arrested include Rai's driver, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu. None of the trustees has been named in the FIR. The Trust said the SIT's preliminary findings identified prima facie evidence against the eight accused, leading to the registration of cases and their arrests.
The Trust's next meeting has been scheduled for July 22, when it expects to receive the SIT's final report. Giri said the report would be discussed along with appointments of additional trustees. The Trust also said it would implement the SIT's recommendations and seek independent expert advice to build a stronger, more transparent and efficient administrative framework.
Responding to allegations that donated valuables had disappeared, the Trust said all 2,926 non-cash offerings received from devotees are safe and fully documented. It said every donated article has been entered in registers with date-wise records and undergoes annual physical verification by an independent chartered accountant firm serving as internal auditor. Silver offerings donated by devotees were converted into bullion at the Government of India's Mint, with photographs, purity certificates and weight records preserved. Giri displayed ornaments and other valuables before reporters and invited anyone with doubts to verify the records at the Trust office.
The controversy has also triggered political reactions. The Congress said the acceptance of the resignations amounted to an acknowledgment that the alleged donation theft had occurred and demanded a Supreme Court-supervised investigation. The Samajwadi Party also sought intervention by the apex court, while Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai called for the dissolution of the Trust and its reconstitution under the guidance of the country's four Shankaracharyas and other seers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.