Ayodhya Police Seek Remand of Donation Theft Accused

AAP MP Sanjay Singh said he has emailed the chairperson of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking an appointment.

He said he possesses several documents related to the alleged land scam linked to the Ram Mandir and wants to submit them to the SIT.

Singh alleged that a plot of land worth ₹1.73 crore was purchased by Champat Rai for ₹29.67 crore. He added that he has documents relating to around 11 such land transactions, which he intends to hand over to the SIT as part of the investigation.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj has spoken publicly about the resignation of the Trust’s former General Secretary, Champat Rai.

He said that when he described Champat Rai as ‘innocent’, he meant that there could be no moral or personal involvement on his part in the entire episode. However, he acknowledged that Champat Rai had been negligent in the way he managed matters.

“He appointed a man with a criminal background as his driver. That person had access to the keys and controlled everything,” he said.

The treasurer further alleged that it was the driver who carried out the alleged wrongdoing and expressed suspicion that he had links with outsiders. He said he often felt the incident was part of a larger conspiracy.

According to Swami Govind Dev Giri, the situation arose because the Trust did not have a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He said the Trust would now appoint a CEO to strengthen its administrative system.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday criticised the handling of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation controversy, saying Lord Ram is an ideal figure and holds a special place in India’s cultural and spiritual life. He also said he was pleased that the head of the Gorakhnath Math is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Singh alleged that Nripendra Mishra, who oversaw the temple’s construction and is regarded as a close confidant of the Prime Minister, had himself acknowledged that “loot” had taken place. He questioned why Mishra remained silent until the controversy surfaced and asked whether he had any role in the alleged irregularities.

He further claimed that people like Champat Rai were damaging the Prime Minister’s image and alleged that money had been withdrawn 71 times over 40 days.

Comparing the case with the National Herald investigation, Singh said there were no cash transactions in that case despite the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stepping in, but questioned why the agency had not acted in the Ram Mandir donation controversy, where he alleged money had been openly withdrawn.

Krishna Mohan Das, the newly appointed General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, assumed charge on Tuesday.

He also held discussions with an official from the State Bank of India (SBI). Krishna Mohan Das was appointed as the Trust’s new General Secretary on Monday, replacing Champat Rai.

Speaking in Sitapur, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand said more irregularities are likely to surface in the Ram Temple controversy.

He said Hindu scriptures state that if prescribed religious rituals and traditions are ignored, divine presence no longer resides at a sacred place and ‘evil forces’ take over. According to him, the present controversy is a consequence of failing to maintain the temple’s religious sanctity, and he believes more irregularities could emerge in the future.

The Shankaracharya also questioned the impartiality of the investigation into the alleged Ram Temple donation theft. Referring to the BJP’s ‘double-engine’ government, he said that if the government oversees the trust and is also conducting the investigation, a fair inquiry would not be possible. He compared the situation to “two brothers committing a theft and then investigating it themselves,” saying such an arrangement cannot be impartial.

The trust has received donations totaling ₹3,264 crore through the fund-dedication campaign and corpus contributions. Of this amount, ₹2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and related works.

From the formation of the trust until March 31, 2026, devotees offered ₹582 crore in donations. Of this, ₹391 crore has been utilised for temple operations and other expenses, while the remaining amount remains secured in bank accounts.

Following the preliminary SIT report, General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility. The trust accepted both resignations to ensure an impartial investigation and also decided to remove Gopal Nagarakatte’s name from the list of special invitees.

Devotees have donated 2,926 gifts apart from cash offerings. The trust maintains complete records of all these items in registers and conducts annual physical verification through independent chartered accountancy firms.

Any devotee seeking information regarding their donation can visit Ayodhya and obtain details from trust officials.

The trust said it has so far received ₹3,264 crore through the donation campaign and corpus funds. Of this, ₹2,370 crore has been spent on construction and related activities.

Offerings worth ₹582 crore were received from devotees between the trust’s formation and March 31, 2026. Of this amount, ₹391 crore was used for operational expenses and temple management, while the remaining funds are secured in bank accounts.

The trust reiterated that after the preliminary SIT report, Champat Rai and Dr Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the controversy. Their resignations were accepted, and Gopal Nagarakatte was removed from the list of special invitees.

Trust officials maintained that the truth would emerge only after the legal investigation is completed and said it would be inappropriate to declare anyone guilty before the inquiry concludes.

The trust said it has complete documentation of 2,926 gifts donated by devotees. Independent chartered accountancy firms verify these records every year, and devotees can also seek information about their donations through an appointment process.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, while addressing a press conference, said that the BJP and RSS have deeply hurt the sentiments of crores of people.

He alleged that they had information about the alleged donation theft much earlier but no action was taken against it. He claimed that the matter was suppressed.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with his entire cabinet and Congress MLAs, reached the historic Ram Temple in Shimla on Tuesday after taking out a foot march.

The Chief Minister and ministers participated in bhajan-kirtan, offered prayers to Lord Ram, performed the temple’s circumambulation and carried out the abhishek of the Ram idol.

CM Sukhu said that this was not just a theft of money but a theft of the faith of crores of people. He said that when donations were being collected across the country for the construction of the Ram Mandir, he was an MLA and had also contributed with devotion.

He added that on the occasion of the consecration ceremony of Ramlala, the Himachal Pradesh government had declared a full-day public holiday.

BJP leader R.P. Singh said that Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has questioned the opposition for allegedly politicising the matter.

He said that the trust had already sent the case to the SIT, which conducted the investigation on the trust’s request and arrested eight people.

Singh added that Govind Dev Giri has also made it clear that no one involved in the case will be spared, regardless of who they are.

Samajwadi Party MP from Ayodhya, Awadhesh Prasad, said that the resignations have no meaning as the matter is of national importance.

He said that the alleged theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir is not merely a theft but a “robbery”. He added that the incident has not only tarnished the image of Lord Ram’s temple but has also brought disrepute to the people of Ayodhya.

Prasad demanded that those responsible should not receive ordinary punishment but should be punished under a special law, so that history remembers it as the case of robbery at Lord Ram’s temple.

RJD MP Sudhakar Singh reacted to the acceptance of resignations by Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, saying that the issue is not about who resigned or who did not.

He said that he and the people of the country have three questions. “First, the donations collected from across the country during the construction of the Ram Mandir should be made public, so that people can verify whether their contributions reached Ayodhya or not,” he said.

Singh added that the second issue was allegations made during construction that poor-quality work was being carried out through over-invoicing.

“The third issue is that offerings made by devotees who visited the Ram Mandir after its construction have allegedly been stolen. This is not limited to gold and silver items; money donated in the donation boxes has also been taken out,” he alleged.

He claimed that if the total alleged loss is calculated, it amounts to at least ₹10,000 crore. “What is the meaning of resignation? It is just a show. The manner in which Lord Ram and religious faith have been treated has caused irreparable damage,” Singh said.

According to the trust, a total of ₹3,264 crore has been received so far through the Nidhi Samarpan campaign and corpus donations. Of this, ₹2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and other works.

From the formation of the trust till 31 March 2026, devotees donated ₹582 crore as offerings. Of this, ₹391 crore was used for temple operations and other expenses, while the remaining amount is secured in bank accounts.

After the preliminary report of the SIT, general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility. The trust accepted both resignations and removed Gopal Nagarkatte from the list of special invitees.

The trust said that the truth will emerge only after the completion of the legal investigation. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to declare anyone guilty before the probe is completed.

The trust also said it has a complete record of 2,926 types of gifts offered by devotees. These are verified every year by an independent chartered accountant firm. Devotees can also take prior appointments to check details related to their donations.

Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said he has known Champat Rai for 32 years and that his only mistake was placing too much trust in people close to him.

He said that Rai had been working for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement since the time when hardly anyone knew about it and that he is highly respected for his contribution.

Govind Dev Giri said it is difficult to understand how Rai continued with such people for so many years and failed to sense their alleged actions.

“In my view, he is spotless. He is not a criminal, though he did make a mistake of negligence,” he said.

Swami Govind Dev Giri said that a complete transformation will definitely be carried out and the reputation of the Ram Mandir, which has been affected, will be fully restored.

He said that the State Bank of India (SBI) should not have stepped back from its responsibility in the matter, as the process was carried out with the bank’s cooperation. According to him, SBI also had a responsibility and the trust had to face serious consequences due to the bank’s negligence.

Govind Dev Giri said that, in his view, the FIR should ideally have been registered by SBI and not by the trust. However, he added that the well-intentioned members of the trust came forward and filed the FIR themselves.

He further said that the trust is committed to adopting a process where there is no scope for any doubt. Necessary measures will be taken and guidance will be sought from all concerned parties, he added.

Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said that the trust has a register containing a list of 2,800 such items, and all of them are safe.

He said allegations have been made that several valuable offerings and donated items went missing without any trace. “We have brought the register containing records of all these items to show you. We will present details of all the items being discussed,” he said.

Govind Dev Giri added that the trust has a complete list of 2,800 items and all of them are secure. He said the four specific items being discussed were brought only as samples for display.

He further said that keeping all these issues in mind, the trust’s future work will be carried out in such a way that no one can point out even the slightest shortcoming.

He said the trust is fully committed to ensuring high standards of work and has formed a small committee to appoint special officials for this purpose. The process will continue in the same manner, he added.

The treasurer said the next meeting will be held on the 22nd. He added that taking action against those responsible is the administration’s responsibility, but the trust also strongly demands that all guilty persons, including those who may still be hiding, should be caught and punished appropriately for their crimes.

After being appointed as the general secretary, Krishna Mohan said that those involved in the donation theft would be punished.

He said the accused took advantage of management shortcomings, and efforts would be made to remove these gaps so that such an incident does not happen again.

Krishna Mohan added that the trust will work to restore public confidence. He said the recent developments have affected the image of the trust and that all trustees will make efforts to rebuild its reputation.

After the Ram Mandir donation theft controversy in Ayodhya, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.

Retired IFS officer Krishna Mohan has been appointed as the acting general secretary in place of Champat Rai. Krishna Mohan belongs to the Dalit community.

The first trust meeting held after the donation theft case lasted for three hours.

Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said the meeting decided that the trustee board would be completed by filling vacant positions.

He said a three-member committee has been constituted to recommend names for induction into the trust. The panel comprises retired Justice Pradeep Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Havare, who successfully managed the Shirdi institution for a decade.

According to Swami Govind Dev Giri, the committee has been finalised and will conduct interviews of prospective candidates before submitting a list of names to the trust, from which the final selections will be made.