Ram Temple Trust Appoints IIT Bombay Alumnus Jagdish Aphale As Secretary Amid Donation Theft Row
Ram Temple Trust Appoints IIT Bombay Alumnus Jagdish Aphale As Secretary Amid Donation Theft Row Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 07:35 IST The
Ram Temple Trust Appoints IIT Bombay Alumnus Jagdish Aphale As Secretary Amid Donation Theft Row Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 07:35 IST The Trust has created the post of the secretary as part of administrative restructuring for managing the temple’s expanding operations. Image of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. (Source: PTI) The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday appointed Jagdish Aphale as its first secretary, who will oversee the daily administration, according to various media reports. The appointment of Aphale will be formally ratified at the executive meeting of the Trust on September 2. Ram Temple Trust Creates Secretary Post The Trust has created the post of secretary as part of an administrative restructuring to manage the temple’s expanding operations. Aphale, an engineer by profession who oversaw the construction of the Ram Temple, will report to interim general secretary Krishna Mohan, according to media reports. He will serve as an office bearer; however, he will not be a member of the Trust. Meanwhile, the chief executive officer (CEO), who is yet to be appointed, will also serve as an office bearer but will not be inducted as a Trust member.
Interim general secretary Krishna Mohan had earlier confirmed that Aphale’s name had been proposed for the position. Also Read: Supreme Court To Continue Monitoring Probe Into Ram Mandir Theft Case, Seeks Status Report His name was first proposed at the Trust’s July 6 meeting, held soon after the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra were accepted in the wake of the donation theft row. During the same meeting, the Trust also postponed the appointment of its first chief executive officer (CEO) by a month, as the screening committee sought additional time to evaluate three shortlisted candidates from over 5,200 applications. Aphale has also been made a joint signatory for financial transactions as the organisation seeks to bring greater accountability to its functioning following the alleged theft of donations to the shrine. “For banking purposes, the joint signatories are Aphale and me. The board of trustees has approved it," interim general secretary Krishan Mohan said while speaking to The Times of India. Who Is Jagdish Aphale? Jagdish Aphale is a resident of Pune and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering and an MTech from IIT Bombay.
Aphale has worked for several multinational companies, including assignments in Europe and the United States. He recently returned to India after retirement. Also Read: CV Of Ram Temple Trust CEO: Top 3 Eligibility Criteria For Candidates After Donation Theft Row When the construction of the Ram Temple began, Aphale was deputed as the honorary project engineer. Since then, he has been staying at the Teerth Kshetra Bhavan in Ayodhya. Donation Theft Controversy The appointment comes after the Trust announced its restructuring following the donation embezzlement controversy. The controversy erupted in early June after discrepancies were allegedly uncovered in the counting of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Acting on the temple trust’s recommendation, the Uttar Pradesh government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged financial irregularities. During the investigation, the SIT reportedly found prima facie evidence suggesting the misappropriation of funds, leading to the registration of an FIR and the arrest of eight individuals involved in the temple’s donation-counting operations. The controversy also triggered changes within the temple trust. General Secretary Champat Rai stepped down from his post, and the Trust accepted his resignation on July 6.
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