Ram Mandir trust chief Champat Rai quits day after arrests in donation theft case
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s strict approach in the alleged Ram Mandir donation misappropriation case has triggered major developments within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s strict approach in the alleged Ram Mandir donation misappropriation case has triggered major developments within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, with trust members Champat Rai and Anil Mishra submitting their resignations, sources told India Today. The resignations come amid mounting scrutiny following the preliminary findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which reportedly flagged serious lapses in the handling and monitoring of donations offered by devotees at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Read Full Story The first FIR in the case has already been registered on the recommendation of the SIT.
The complaint was filed by trust member Krishna Mohan, who joined the trust in September 2025 after the death of former trustee Kameshwar Chaupal. Hours after the FIR was registered, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested all eight accused named in the case on Thursday. Those arrested include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu. Authorities are completing legal procedures while questioning all accused. The FIR includes charges related to theft, criminal breach of trust, concealment of stolen property, criminal conspiracy and offences committed with common intent under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The controversy intensified after allegations emerged that donations made by devotees at the Ram Temple were being mishandled. In response, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on June 13 to investigate alleged irregularities in the collection, storage and accounting of temple offerings. According to sources, the SIT’s preliminary findings identified procedural failures at multiple stages. Investigators reportedly found gaps in employee verification, inadequate checking of staff entering and exiting sensitive areas, weak CCTV surveillance and irregularities in the movement of donations from the temple premises to the trust office and eventually to bank deposits.
The probe also examined the process of counting donations. Sources indicated that banking operations linked to donation counting involved outsourced personnel, and questions were raised about appointments and oversight mechanisms. Investigators are also examining records linked to gold, silver, ornaments and other valuables offered by devotees after discrepancies were reportedly noticed in inventory and documentation. Ends
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