The Special Investigation Team probing alleged donation thefts at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has cleared Champat Rai, former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, in its first official report. Following an examination by the Uttar Pradesh home department, the findings have been passed to the temple trust for further action. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the final report names neither Rai nor former trust member Anil Mishra, both of whom resigned from their roles on 27 June amidst the ongoing inquiry into financial irregularities.
The initial SIT was established on June 13 on the orders of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following a formal request from the trust itself. Headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, alongside Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan Kumar, the panel conducted preliminary inquiries in Ayodhya between June 15 and 20. The team scrutinised the full donation workflow, including collection boxes, counting rooms, access controls, and security footage, ultimately flagging initial prima facie lapses in cash handling.
Following the submission of the preliminary report on June 23, an official FIR was registered on June 25 at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station on a complaint filed by trust member Krishna Mohan. Eight individuals named in the complaint — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav — were subsequently arrested and remain in custody. The initial findings revealed that cash thefts occurred roughly 70 times in the counting room between April 27 and June 5, 2026, with security footage showing staff concealing notes. The report also highlighted systemic failures to follow standard operating procedures agreed between the trust and the State Bank of India, including inadequate physical searches at entry and exit points.
The alleged fraud first came to public attention on June 7, when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan Pandey alleged that between Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore had been siphoned off from temple offerings. A second SIT, led by IG Kiran S under the supervision of the Supreme Court, is currently managing the broader ongoing investigation. Formed by the Central Government in 2020 following the Supreme Court's 2019 title dispute verdict, the 15-member trust had previously reported receiving Rs 82.78 crore in donations between April 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.
Also read: SC keeps Ayodhya trust SIT report confidential for now
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