The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignation of its general secretary, Champat Rai, amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Trust also appointed Bajrang Bagra as its new general secretary.
According to sources, Rai and trustee Anil Mishra submitted their resignations after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a firm stand on the alleged donation theft and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary report to the state government.
The SIT’s initial findings reportedly revealed that staff entrusted with counting cash donations allegedly siphoned off money despite the installation of CCTV cameras, as the footage was not being regularly monitored. Reports suggest that donations worth nearly ₹7–7.5 crore are suspected to be missing.
Among the eight people arrested in connection with the case is Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who served as Champat Rai’s driver.
Sources said Rai has told his close associates that Tinnu Yadav was the principal accused in the alleged donation theft and had misused the trust reposed in him.
The Trust convened a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the resignations of Rai and Anil Mishra in light of the allegations. Seven of the Trust’s nine permanent members, including chairman Nritya Gopal Das, attended the meeting, while Rai and Mishra remained absent.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Nritya Gopal Das expressed deep anguish over the alleged theft of donations offered to Ram Lalla and called for the strictest possible action against those responsible.
Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said every individual involved in the alleged offence would be brought to justice and urged political parties not to exploit an issue linked to the faith of millions of devotees.
The controversy has triggered sharp political reactions.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that an internal power struggle within the ruling establishment was compromising public faith and devotion.
“Our faith and devotion are being toyed with. Everyone knows what is happening, yet they remain silent. The double-engine government is not functioning collaboratively; instead, it is in conflict,” he alleged.
The Congress demanded that the Supreme Court take suo motu cognisance of the matter and called for accountability at the highest levels, questioning the Prime Minister’s silence over the alleged irregularities. The party described the case as not merely a financial scandal but a betrayal of the faith of millions of devotees.
The Aam Aadmi Party also criticised the handling of the case, with its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleging that the FIR and arrests were intended to divert attention from those allegedly responsible at higher levels.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of betraying Hindus and Hindutva, calling for a “BJP-mukt Ram” while alleging that temples were being misused for political purposes.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), to which both Champat Rai and Anil Mishra belong, said it would respect the Trust’s decision regarding their resignations and urged that the ongoing investigation be allowed to reach its logical conclusion.
Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri declined to comment before the meeting, stating that he would respond only after its conclusion. Earlier, he had clarified that he had no role in the daily collection or counting of donations and maintained that the Trust’s audit records remained intact.
The SIT, constituted on June 13, submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23, following which an FIR was registered and eight people were arrested.
Investigators have also reportedly recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while taking them out of the temple premises.
Although no FIR has been registered against Champat Rai, Anil Mishra or special invitee Gopal Rao, lawyers from the Faizabad Bar Association have submitted a written complaint seeking criminal action against them.
The investigation into the alleged donation theft is continuing.
