Ram Temple Trust Row: Champat Rai Rejects SIT Findings, Says Procedures Were Approved By SBI

Ayodhya: Former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai has strongly disputed the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), claiming that the donation counting system under scrutiny was implemented with the knowledge and approval of the State Bank of India.

In a detailed written response released after the SIT report became public, Rai rejected allegations that the trust had bypassed banking norms while handling cash donations. He said the procedures followed at the Ram Temple were neither secret nor arbitrary and had been developed in consultation with SBI officials.

Rai disclosed that the trust had entered into an agreement with SBI on February 9, 2024 for the cash counting process. According to him, every page of the agreement carried his signature as the trust's general secretary. He said the arrangement incorporated security measures, including CCTV surveillance and an iron barred door at the counting room entrance.

He further stated that another agreement, signed on July 6, 2025, described the bank as a "joint guide" for the donation counting process. Rai said this agreement also carried the signatures of former trustee Anil Mishra and the manager of SBI's Naya Ghat branch.

Rejecting the SIT's observations, Rai said he "absolutely did not agree" with the conclusions of the report and would submit a detailed point by point reply after studying the complete document. He maintained that the report had now entered the public domain and the truth would eventually come out.

The former trust official also questioned the role of the bank. He said senior SBI officials had monitored the counting room and that if any irregularities had actually taken place, the bank could not claim ignorance. "Perhaps the bank had no knowledge of this mistake, otherwise it would have been caught at some level," he said.

Rai also rejected allegations that trust employees were made to perform cash counting. He said workers mentioned in the report were engaged as housekeeping staff and had merely been retained in that capacity.

Responding to the SIT's claim that some agreements lacked proper approval, Rai said all documents relating to the accounts office bore his signature and that there was no requirement for any immediate response from SBI.

The former general secretary also raised questions over the banking system itself. He argued that banks across the country have strict rules governing entry and exit, uniforms and security inside cash handling areas. If those safeguards were not enforced in Ayodhya, he said, the bank should also explain its role.

Rai has remained largely silent since the controversy surfaced in June. The donation counting dispute erupted after allegations that cash collected from devotees was diverted before being deposited in designated bank accounts. An SIT was subsequently constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the alleged diversion of donations.

The probe led to the arrest of eight former employees associated with the donation counting process. They have been booked under charges including criminal breach of trust, theft, cheating and criminal conspiracy. The controversy also resulted in the resignation of Champat Rai as the trust's general secretary, with trustee Anil Mishra being removed from his executive responsibilities. A three member committee has since been formed to restore confidence in the trust's donation management system.