Ayodhya Ram Temple Crisis: Champat Rai Resigns After SIT Exposes Massive Million-Rupee Donation Scam
The administrative body managing the historic Ayodhya Ram Temple has executed a sweeping leadership overhaul following an explosive financial scandal. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust officially accepted the resignation of its high-profile General Secretary, Champat Rai, along with Trustee Anil Mishra.
This historic leadership shake-up arrives after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) uncovered evidence that tens of millions of rupees in cash and valuables donated by devotees have been systematically stolen from the temple premises. The architectural masterpiece, which was inaugurated in January 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has quickly become one of the world's largest pilgrimage centres, attracting more than 50 million visitors annually.
SIT Uncovers Shocking Racket of 70 Thefts in 45 Days
The dynamic investigation, ordered by the Uttar Pradesh state government, revealed that the embezzlement was not an isolated incident but a highly organised, repeated operation. Reviewing CCTV camera footage captured between April 27 and June 5, 2026, the three-member SIT identified approximately 70 separate instances of systematic cash pilferage inside the temple's high-security donation-counting room.
Investigators discovered shocking security failures, revealing that staff members were routinely hiding thick wads of currency notes and loose cash inside their personal clothing, pockets, and shoes. The preliminary report heavily criticised the lack of basic security protocols, noting that there was no mandatory physical frisking for employees at the entry and exit points of the counting hall, no enforcement of pocketless uniforms, and an unregulated commingling of cash collected from multiple donation boxes.
Professional CEO Appointed as Eight Insiders Faced Arrest
Following the structural findings of the SIT, the Ayodhya police registered a formal case of criminal embezzlement and arrested eight individuals directly involved in the cash-counting system. Forensics and search operations led to the immediate recovery of over ₹79 lakh in cash, gold and silver ornaments, digital storage drives containing deleted CCTV logs, and a luxury SUV from the prime accused, Avinash Shukla.
Shukla, who was hired on a modest monthly take-home salary of roughly ₹15,000, raised immediate red flags after bank account analysis exposed unexplained, high-volume cash deposits. In response to the crisis, the Trust has moved to eliminate administrative loopholes by forming a special selection committee to hire a professional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to run day-to-day operations and restore the institution's battered credibility.
Champat Rai Adopts Vow of Silence and Blames Private Outsourcing
While no formal criminal charges have been filed against the outgoing top leadership, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra stepped down voluntarily on moral grounds to allow a transparent probe. Senior RSS functionary and retired Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer Krishna Mohan has been appointed as the interim General Secretary to handle the transition.
In a signed letter addressed to millions of devotees across the globe, Champat Rai announced that he has adopted a maun dharan (vow of silence) and will refrain from making public statements until the final SIT report is submitted. However, before entering his silence, Rai raised serious questions regarding the role of the State Bank of India (SBI) in the currency-sorting infrastructure. He claimed that the bank utilised an unverified private outsourcing agency to handle the physical cash, arguing that the security breaches occurred under external corporate supervision rather than under the Trust's direct oversight.
Financial Disclosures Released to Reassure Devotees
To counter negative propaganda and reassure the public, the Trust released its audited financial balance sheet. Since its inception in February 2020, the public charitable trust has received a staggering ₹3,264 crore in total donations and contributions.
Out of this pool, ₹2,370 crore has been directed into temple construction and surrounding infrastructure. Trust Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri publicly defended Champat Rai's integrity, stating that while Rai committed an error of negligence by trusting the wrong people for too long, his decades of personal sacrifice for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement remain completely untainted. The SIT has now ordered a comprehensive re-audit of all financial books, event expenditures, and valuable metal assets received over the past five years to ensure total fiscal transparency.
