Former Union Home Secretary S Laxmi Narayan has publicly accused Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, of negligent behaviour and levelled serious allegations that the 151-kg 24-carat gold-covered Ramcharitmanas he had donated to the temple in Ayodhya is now untraceable.
In 2023, S Laxmi Narayan and his wife Saraswati had famously donated a 151-kg Ramcharitmanas, made of copper and inscribed with gold letters, to the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The couple had amassed their life savings, including proceeds from the sale of some family properties, to commission the Ramcharitmanas, which cost around Rs 5 crore to make.
The ornate scripture features 10,902 verses inscribed on copper pages dipped in 24-carat gold with gold-studded lettering. It was presented to Ram Lalla on April 8, 2024, and initially placed for daily puja in front of the idol. The Ramcharitmanas was crafted by the famous Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, who had also made the Sengol for the new Parliament of India.
पूर्व गृह सचिव एस. लक्ष्मी नारायण ने राम मंदिर में चढ़ाई थी सोने से बनी राम चरित मानस… अब चढ़ावा चोरी विवाद के बीच उन्होंने इस चढ़ावे को लेकर बात की है, देखिए।#Ayodhya #RamTemple #RamMandir | @amitkumarpalit pic.twitter.com/0XSZ8bAEX8
— India TV (@indiatvnews) July 4, 2026
Speaking to India TV, Laxminarayan has stated that initially the Ramcharitmanas was kept in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, and he had also received photos of it, but it soon vanished from public view without any explanation, receipt, or acknowledgement from the Trust. Despite making four personal visits to Ayodhya, waiting hours on multiple occasions, and sending several letters and messages seeking clarification, he claims he received no satisfactory response. In his final interaction, Rai allegedly told him, “Whatever I want, I will do. Do not trouble me again and again.”
Laxminarayan expressed his deep anguish at the development, stating that he has made repeated requests, spoken to Nripendra Mishra, and even met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the issue, but it was never addressed.
He recalled on TV how deeply his family was attached to Lord Ram and even to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement; his family has a centuries-old Ramayana. He stated that when the collection of bricks was first started under LK Advani, the very first brick was from his wife’s maternal house in Trivandrum, which was later taken to Kanyakumari.
Laxmi Narayan also informed that a similar Shrimad Bhagwat he had donated to Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Mathura is being worshipped daily, and he had received proper documentation and receipt for the same. Even when the President visited the temple in Mathura she worshipped the Shrimad Bhagwat that he had donated to the Temple.
Laxmi Narayan further stated that he has now requested UP CM Yogi Adityanath that the Ramcharitmanas should be traced and placed in its proper position in the temple.
In June, amid multiple allegations of donation theft, the Uttar Pradesh police formed a Special Investigation Team after reports of thefts from donation boxes, leading to arrests of staff and recovery of funds. Trust leaders including Champat Rai and Anil Mishra reportedly resigned amid scrutiny of finances, land deals, and management practices.
