India, July 8 -- Former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai has denied approving the 2025 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for counting cash donations at the Ram Temple, claiming he was never shown the document and blaming the State Bank of India (SBI) for failing to enforce security protocols.

In his written statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Rai said he had personally signed every page of the Trust's February 9, 2024 agreement with SBI, under which security measures such as CCTV cameras and an iron-barred entrance to the counting room were installed. However, he rejected a separate February 6, 2025 guideline document, saying it bore the signatures of former trustee Anil Mishra and t...