In a significant development amid the ongoing controversy over alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignations of its General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra, sources said on Monday.
The decision was taken after a high-level meeting of the trust held at a guest house within the temple premises. During the meeting, the trust expressed confidence in the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Champat Rai has been at the centre of the controversy, with his close aide Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav among the eight persons arrested by the SIT in connection with the alleged donation theft. Rai and Dr Mishra have also been questioned by the SIT and the Ayodhya Police. However, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Rai so far.
The trust meeting was attended by most members, including 89-year-old chairperson Nritya Gopal Das. Rai and Mishra did not attend the meeting as discussions regarding their resignations were on the agenda.
Hours before the meeting began, Nritya Gopal Das issued a brief statement expressing anguish over the alleged theft and demanding strict action against those responsible.
“I am deeply hurt by the theft that took place at the temple of Shree Ram Lalaji. Whoever has committed this sin should receive the strictest possible punishment,” Das said.
At the same time, he appealed to the public not to politicise the issue and expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would ensure appropriate action.
Investigators have intensified the probe, with the SIT and Ayodhya Police recovering cash from the residences of the eight arrested accused. Authorities have also retrieved deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while taking them out of the temple premises.
Sources said the SIT is considering examining the trust’s audit reports and financial records for the past five years as part of the investigation.
Amid growing scrutiny, the trust’s treasurer, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, has maintained that the organisation’s financial systems are transparent and that proper accounting mechanisms are in place.
The alleged donation embezzlement case has sparked widespread attention across the country, with political parties and devotees closely watching the outcome of the investigation into one of India’s most prominent religious institutions.
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