The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, appointed trustee Krishna Mohan as interim General Secretary, and announced a series of administrative reforms following the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary findings in the alleged donation embezzlement case.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of trustees in Ayodhya, where the Trust also removed Gopal Nagarkote from the list of special invitees and constituted a three-member committee to recommend candidates for the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
According to the Trust, the SIT's preliminary report identified eight individuals allegedly involved in irregularities in donation counting. Complaints filed by the Trust led to their arrests. It said Rai and Mishra stepped down on moral grounds, and their resignations were accepted.
Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said the Trust would undertake a complete overhaul of its administrative system to ensure greater transparency. He also criticised the State Bank of India, saying it should have exercised greater oversight over the donation counting process.
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The Trust said it had received Rs 582 crore in offerings as of March 31, 2026, of which Rs 391 crore had been spent on operational expenses, while the remaining amount remains in bank accounts. It added that 2,126 physical offerings are recorded and verified annually by an independent chartered accountant, while silver offerings have been converted into bricks at the India Government Mint with proper documentation.
The Trust also stated that Rs 2,370 crore had been spent on temple construction and capital expenditure out of the Rs 3,264 crore received through the fund dedication campaign and corpus donations.
It urged anyone possessing evidence of irregularities to submit it directly to the SIT rather than making public allegations, while maintaining that devotees' faith in the temple remains unaffected despite the controversy.
Trust to review SIT report on July 22
The Trust will meet again on July 22 to consider the SIT's final report and appoint additional trustees, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said. He asserted that those responsible for any theft should face strict punishment and dismissed allegations that donated valuables had gone missing, stating that the Trust maintains records of nearly 2,800 donated items, all of which are safe. He said the Trust would introduce a more robust management system to eliminate any scope for future irregularities while Krishna Mohan continues as interim General Secretary.
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