Ram Temple Trust Accepts Resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra Amid Donation Theft Scandal

The Ram Temple Trust accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Anil Mishra on moral grounds on Monday, according to ANI. The decisions were made during a meeting at the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya, following swirling allegations of theft and embezzlement of temple offerings.

The trust removed administrator Gopal Rao, also referred to as Gopal Nagarkote, from the special invitee list, and appointed Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary. The body also announced a three-member panel to identify and appoint a new Chief Executive Officer. The organisational changes mark a significant administrative response as the body attempts to manage the crisis.

Trust Leadership Overhaul

The meeting ran from 3:15 PM to 6:30 PM on Monday. Seven of the 14 members attended in person, while two others joined virtually. Champat Rai and Anil Mishra did not attend the proceedings. Mahant Kamal Nayan Das confirmed that Gopal Rao was not invited and Champat Rai was absent.

Interim General Secretary Krishna Mohan is a former Indian Forest Service officer and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member. He joined the trust in September 2025 to replace the deceased Kameshwar Chaupal. Mohan faces the immediate challenge of restoring the trust's tarnished image.

"My primary endeavour will be to plug these loopholes and rectify errors," Mohan told ANI.

The three-member CEO selection committee consists of retired judge Pramod Kohli, retired army lieutenant general Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former NIT Raipur chairperson Suresh Haware. Trust members initially opposed Rai's resignation during the discussions. However, senior trustee K. Parasaran explained that under the trust's constitution, a resignation takes effect immediately upon submission. During the meeting, Mahant Dhinendra Das proposed Yatindra Mishra as a new trustee, though the decision was deferred to the next meeting on July 22. Sanjay Prasad, additional secretary (home), apprised the gathering of the SIT's findings.

Theft Probe Details

The controversy began on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan 'Pawan' Pandey alleged the siphoning of Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore. The state government formed a Special Investigation Team on June 13. The SIT probe revealed systematic cash diversion during the collection and counting process.

The investigation led to the June 26 arrest of eight employees. A first information report was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61, 3(5) and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The eight arrested men include Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav 'Tinnu', Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra and Karunesh Pandey. Anukalp and Lavkush Mishra are related to trustee Anil Mishra, while Ram Shankar Yadav is an aide to Rai.

Police recently seized Rs 79,85,493 from the arrested individuals. Investigators recovered the cash hidden in bathrooms, haystacks and cow dung cakes. This scandal represents the biggest fallout yet, carrying deep political ramifications ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections expected early next year.

Trust Defends Finances

A trust statement disclosed that out of Rs 3,264 crore received in fund campaigns and donations, Rs 2,370 crore was spent on construction. Of the Rs 582 crore in offerings received up to March 31, 2026, Rs 391 crore went to operational expenses.

Treasurer Govind Dev Giri blamed the State Bank of India's oversight.

"SBI should not have shirked its responsibility... the FIR should actually have been filed by SBI, not by our trust," Giri said to ANI.

A senior SBI officer in Lucknow stated the bank cooperated fully with the SIT and remains committed to extending complete cooperation. Giri defended Rai, explaining he stepped down voluntarily to protect the probe's integrity. Giri said that the former general secretary "is untainted in my eyes", praising his life of sacrifice.

Trust members displayed disputed items to the press, asserting all 2,926 offerings are fully recorded. The items included a gold-plated Ramcharitmanas, a silver necklace, 'charan-paduka' and a silver crow. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai demanded the immediate dissolution of the trust and its reconstitution under the four Shankaracharyas.