Ex-Ram Mandir Trust Official Champat Rai Grilled, Denies Role In Donation Theft

The probe into the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft case gathered pace as police questioned former trust officials on Monday. Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who have tendered their resignations as Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary and trustee respectively, were questioned by the Special Investigation Team probing the donation theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

NDTV has learnt that Champat Rai was questioned for over two hours by the probe team, which sought detailed information on the entire donation management process.

This is the first time Rai's statement has been recorded since he stepped down as the trust's general secretary on June 27 and the police registered an FIR in the alleged donation theft case. Champat Rai was the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, an independent body that manages the shrine.

Sources have told NDTV that during the interrogation, Champat Rai denied any role in the donation theft at the temple, adding that it was on his complaint that the suspects were arrested. Rai, according to sources, also told the police that it was his responsibility to ensure that no irregularity occurred in donation collection and that he acted as soon as he got wind of the wrongdoing.

Investigators sought details of the entire donations process from Rai, including the receipt of cash and valuables offered by devotees, their counting and safe custody, and their eventual deposit in designated bank accounts.

His resignation followed a strong stance by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the submission of a preliminary report by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft. Reports suggest nearly Rs 7-7.5 crore is missing.

The FIR in the case has named eight accused, including six temple staff responsible for counting cash: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu. They were reportedly caught embezzling money on CCTV and have been arrested.

The Ram temple has been receiving huge donations since its inauguration in January 2024. The Trust reported earnings of nearly Rs 327 crore during FY2024-25, as per the latest annual report issued last September. This included Rs 153 crore in donations and Rs 173 crore in interest income.

The temple sees an average footfall of 70,000 to 80,000 visitors every day. The figure rises sharply during weekends and festivals.The counting of cash donations is authorised by SBI, which has engaged a private agency for the job. The cash offerings are made in four donation boxes and counted by a team of 14 people, including 11 bank staff and three from the temple trust.