Ram Temple Trust reaffirms all artefacts are safe, denies any missing items: Key Takeaways

Ayodhya: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday clarified that all religious and historical artefacts in its custody are safe and that all items are fully accounted for, dismissing reports and social media claims suggesting that sacred items were missing, and reaffirming that proper records are maintained and transparency is being upheld in the management of temple assets.

Meanwhile, the Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra amid the probe into the alleged embezzlement of temple donations. Trustee Krishna Mohan has been appointed as the interim General Secretary.

Following are key takeaways:

Trust rejects rumours over missing artefacts: Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri dismissed social media claims that religious artefacts had gone missing from the temple, saying the Trust maintains a registered inventory of around 2,800 sacred and historical objects, including the Ramayan and Charan Paduka.

Champat Rai and Anil Mishra step down: The Trust formally accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra during a meeting that lasted over three hours.

Krishna Mohan gets interim charge: Trustee Krishna Mohan has been appointed Acting General Secretary until a permanent appointment is made.

Trust cites constitutional requirement: Treasurer Govind Dev Giri said the Trust had no option but to accept the resignations, adding that senior trustee K. Parasaran clarified that the Trust’s constitution requires an office-bearer’s resignation to be accepted immediately upon submission.

Moral accountability: Champat Rai has not been named in the FIR or charged in the donation theft case. But still, the acceptance of his resignation is being viewed as a step towards ensuring moral accountability.

According to Govind Dev Giri, Rai himself chose to resign. It would be inappropriate for him to continue in office until those responsible for the alleged theft are identified and punished, he added.

Krishna Mohan said restoring devotees’ faith would be the Trust’s immediate priority. Procedural loopholes will be plugged, he said, vowing to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and improve transparency.

SIT probe reviewed: Trustees assessed the progress of the Special Investigation Team’s probe into the alleged embezzlement. Reported irregularities in the counting of temple donations were also discussed.

The Trust said it had itself requested the Uttar Pradesh government to order an impartial investigation after preliminary information about the alleged irregularities emerged.

The SIT’s preliminary findings led to the registration of an FIR and the arrest of eight accused. Investigators have alleged that the accused manipulated the cash-counting process and diverted devotees’ offerings worth an estimated Rs 7–8 crore.

One of the arrested individuals is Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who had worked as Champat Rai’s driver.

No criminal case has been registered against Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, or other senior Trust functionaries as of now.

Significantly, the Trust has constituted a dedicated committee to recommend safeguards and prevent similar incidents from recurring.

The Trust stated that it has maintained transparency in its finances. It stated that out of Rs 3,264 crore received through donations and corpus contributions, Rs 2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and capital expenditure. It also said Rs 582 crore was received as offerings till March 31, 2026, of which Rs 391 crore was used for operational expenses, with the balance remaining in bank accounts.

The Trust will meet again on July 22. During this meeting, it is expected to examine the final findings of the SIT. It will also consider further administrative or legal action based on the investigation.

IANS