Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust faced fresh turmoil as General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned on Friday, taking moral responsibility amid the intensifying Ram Mandir donation probe.
Their exit followed the arrest of eight individuals accused of misappropriating temple offerings, including counting staff, a retired banker, and close associates of Rai.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on June 13, flagged serious lapses in donation handling and monitoring. Investigators identified failures in employee verification, weak CCTV surveillance, and irregularities in the transfer of funds from the temple premises to bank deposits. The FIR, registered on June 25, charged the accused with theft, criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Authorities are also examining discrepancies in the records of gold, silver, and ornaments offered by devotees. Outsourced banking operations linked to donation counting raised further questions about oversight and accountability.
Political reactions intensified. BJP worker Dr Rajnish Singh demanded deeper scrutiny of the trust’s finances, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned whether accountability would extend beyond lower-level staff. Singh earlier sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention, calling for transparency in trust records.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance policy, stressing that matters of faith cannot be compromised. He assured devotees that strict action would follow the SIT’s final report.
The Ram Mandir donation probe has now shifted focus to whether structural reforms within the trust will be introduced to restore public confidence.
