Daijiworld Media Network - Ayodhya
Ayodhya, Jun 28: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has officially confirmed that its General Secretary Champat Rai has resigned from the Trust amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Trust Treasurer Swami Govind Giri confirmed Rai’s resignation, making it the first official acknowledgment from the Trust’s senior leadership after reports about his resignation surfaced earlier. The Trust later issued a statement confirming that it had received Rai’s resignation.
The Trust also confirmed that trustee Dr Anil Mishra has submitted his resignation.
The resignations come as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into allegations of financial irregularities involving devotees’ offerings at the Ram Temple.
The Trust has announced that its next meeting will be held on July 11. While Trust meetings are generally held every three months, members said the upcoming meeting is expected to focus on the current crisis, the investigation and possible administrative changes.
Sources said discussions may include internal investigation measures, accountability steps and restructuring of administrative responsibilities. The appointment of a new General Secretary in place of Champat Rai and a possible replacement for Dr Anil Mishra may also be discussed. The appointment of a new CEO for the Ram Mandir complex is also reportedly likely to come up.
According to sources, the SIT investigation has examined the administration’s handling of the donation-counting process. Investigators have not accused Champat Rai of directly participating in the alleged theft or handling counting and surveillance operations, but questions are reportedly being raised over whether complaints about suspected irregularities were ignored despite being brought to the notice of senior officials.
Sources also claimed that some arrested individuals involved in the case were assigned donation-counting duties on recommendations linked to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra. Questions have also been raised over the appointment of certain personnel without adequate background checks.
The findings are part of the ongoing SIT investigation and have not been established in a court of law.
The SIT reportedly examined CCTV footage recorded between April 27 and June 5 and found around 70 alleged instances where employees involved in donation counting were seen stealing cash over a period of nearly 40 days.
Investigators have alleged that some accused persons were aware of CCTV camera locations and blind spots inside the counting centre. The probe has also claimed that cameras were allegedly switched off or obstructed during some incidents.
Eight people have been arrested so far in connection with the case. Among them, Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava were reportedly employees of the Ram Mandir Trust, while the remaining accused were associated with the State Bank of India (SBI), which assists in counting temple donations.
The SIT has reportedly identified Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu Yadav, as a key accused in the alleged theft case. According to sources, he had access to donation box keys and played a role in operational arrangements, including deployment of personnel for donation counting.
Another accused, Ramashankar Mishra, was allegedly brought into donation-counting duties on Tinnu Yadav’s recommendation. CCTV footage is reportedly part of the evidence being examined against him.
The SIT has also reportedly raised questions regarding Dr Anil Mishra’s role in appointments and examined concerns related to changes in his assets after becoming a trustee. No official findings have been announced on these aspects so far.
Reacting to the developments, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged donation theft.
“Those who have played with the faith of devotees will not be forgiven by Lord Ram. The government itself is admitting that theft took place. They care more about wealth than religion. For them, money has become their religion,” Yadav said.