Ram Temple Donation Theft Case: Champat Rai, Dr Anil Mishra Step Down Amid Probe

Ayodhya: The Ram temple donation theft case took a dramatic turn on Friday with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr. Anil Mishra stepping down from their positions, according to sources.

The resignations are learnt to have been submitted to ensure a fair investigation into the alleged misappropriation of devotees' offerings and are expected to remain in effect until the probe is completed.

The development came a day after the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested all eight accused named in the FIR registered on the basis of the Special Investigation Team's preliminary report.

Mahant Kamalnayan Das, the designated successor to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, said he was not aware of the latest developments regarding the resignations.

The controversy erupted after the trust lodged an FIR alleging large-scale irregularities in the handling of cash and valuables offered by devotees at the Ram temple. The FIR was filed 19 days after the allegations first surfaced and two days after the SIT submitted its preliminary findings.

Those named in the FIR include Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who worked as the driver of Champat Rai, Anukalp Mishra, a relative of trustee Dr. Anil Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, counting staff members Manish Yadav, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, counting supervisor Subhash Srivastava and several unidentified persons. They have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and allegedly siphoning off temple donations.

Police have arrested all eight named accused. After medical examinations, they were produced before a remand magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. Officials said the investigation has been intensified and will incorporate the SIT's preliminary report while examining all financial records and other evidence.

Opposition parties have questioned why no senior trust office-bearer has been named in the FIR and have alleged that the investigation is selective. The police have maintained that further action will be based on evidence collected during the probe and reiterated that the investigation will be conducted fairly and transparently.

The latest developments have placed renewed focus on Champat Rai, one of the most influential figures associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Born in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh in 1946, Rai began his public life as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker before becoming a senior functionary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. He was posted to Ayodhya in 1991 and played a key organisational role during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, working closely with late VHP leader Ashok Singhal.

Rai was also closely associated with the legal battle over the disputed site, coordinating documents and assisting lawyers during proceedings that culminated in the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict. Following the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in 2020, he was appointed its General Secretary and has since overseen key aspects of the temple's construction, administration and the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in January 2024.

While there is no official finding linking Rai to the alleged donation theft, the investigation has brought the trust's internal oversight and governance under increased public scrutiny.