In a major development, Champat Rai resigned today from the post of General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Trust member Anil Mishra has also stepped down. The resignations have been tendered on moral grounds amid the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities and theft of donations at the temple.
Champat Rai, a senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader who has been associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for decades and served as General Secretary of the Trust since February 2020, is stepping aside following intense public scrutiny and calls for accountability.
The controversy erupted earlier this month over allegations of embezzlement of cash offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple. Reports suggested that several crores of rupees had gone missing, with claims ranging from around ₹7-7.5 crore to much larger amounts. The issue gained traction after political leaders, including those from the Samajwadi Party, raised concerns about irregularities in the handling of donations collected from devotees across the country.
Following the allegations, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust itself lodged a formal complaint with the police, leading to the registration of an FIR on June 25 at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya. The FIR names eight accused persons, primarily temple employees involved in counting and handling cash donations. Key among them is Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu, described as a close associate of Champat Rai. Other accused include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Manish Yadav, along with unknown persons.
All eight accused have been arrested based on CCTV footage that reportedly captured them embezzling donations. The FIR invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to embezzlement, fraud, criminal conspiracy, and breach of trust. Earlier recoveries of cash from the houses of some employees had also come to light during the investigation.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and comprising senior police and finance officials, was constituted following a request from the Trust. The SIT submitted its preliminary report, which reportedly flagged irregularities and identified a around 17 people for further scrutiny, including senior trust functionaries. Champat Rai had cooperated with the SIT and appeared for questioning.
VHP President Alok Kumar welcomed the registration of the FIR and expressed satisfaction with the action taken, while stressing that the investigation should be thorough and anyone found guilty, irrespective of position, must face punishment. Opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, have criticised the FIR for allegedly targeting only junior staff while shielding bigger names in the Trust. They have demanded a more comprehensive probe and action against all those responsible. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has assured that the guilty will not be spared and urged everyone to avoid politicising the issue or hurting the sentiments of Ram devotees.
The resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra can be seen as a significant step towards restoring faith among devotees. The Trust has maintained that it is committed to full transparency and accountability, with every paisa belonging to Ram Lalla being properly accounted for.
