The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the landmark Ram temple in India, held its first meeting on Monday after allegations of theft of donations surfaced last month. The state government established a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the claims.

Following an interim SIT report, Ayodhya police registered a case of alleged embezzlement, naming eight individuals. Subsequently, trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri announced at a press conference that Champat Rai and another official, Anil Mishra, resigned after a police complaint was filed on 25 June. Retired forest officer Krishna Mohan was appointed interim general secretary.

Giri also revealed the creation of a new CEO position, with a three-member panel tasked to recommend candidates. He detailed that the trust had received 5.82 billion rupees ($61 million; £45.63 million) in donations from devotees up to 31 March 2026.

The allegations originated from a former accounts supervisor who claimed he was dismissed after raising concerns about internal wrongdoing. Giri did not specify the amount or value of stolen items but emphasized the need for strict action against those involved. He expressed concern over the damage to devotees' sentiments and the trust's credibility.

Giri stated, "The incident of theft from the donation boxes during counting is deeply painful and shameful for all of us," and clarified that "the temple trustees did not commit the theft." He added, "This betrayal was perpetrated by people whom Champat Rai, whom we consider a truly noble and great soul, trusted and kept close for so many years. It was those people who betrayed the trust."

He further noted, "Whether the theft was small or big comes later. The atmosphere that has been created is what has hurt all of us."

The trust plans to meet again on 22 July, by which time it expects the police to have submitted their final report. Giri stressed that the priority is to identify and close any loopholes to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Sources