Ram Temple Donation Scam: Champat Rai Questioned For Over 3 Hours, Denies Role In Alleged Embezzlement
Ram Temple Donation Scam: Champat Rai Questioned For Over 3 Hours, Denies Role In Alleged Embezzlement Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 07:11 IST
Ram Temple Donation Scam: Champat Rai Questioned For Over 3 Hours, Denies Role In Alleged Embezzlement Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 07:11 IST Police questioned former Ram Temple Trust official Champat Rai for over three hours as he denied any role in the alleged donation scam. Police raids at houses of 8 arrested in Ayodhya donations case (Photo: PTI) The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya gathered pace on Monday, with police recording the statement of former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai for more than three hours. During the questioning, Rai denied any involvement in the alleged scam and told investigators that he had never imagined employees entrusted with handling temple donations could commit such an offence. According to the latest developments, investigators questioned Rai in detail over the alleged irregularities in the handling of temple donations. Sources said he maintained that he had no role in the alleged embezzlement and expressed surprise that those working with the Trust could allegedly indulge in such a scam. Police have also issued notices to Trust members Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao as part of the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, the Trust has advanced its meeting to July 6, when it is expected to take a decision on the resignations submitted by Rai and Anil Mishra. The case came to light after allegations of large-scale embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple. An FIR was subsequently registered, following which eight people associated with the counting of cash and valuables donated by devotees were arrested. The accused have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav. They are currently in judicial custody after being produced before a special anti-corruption court through video conferencing. Defending Rai and the Trust, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust itself had sought a fair investigation into the alleged embezzlement. According to PTI, VHP international president Alok Kumar said the Trust first carried out an internal inquiry, identified suspected irregularities, recovered Rs 80 lakh and requested the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The VHP further claimed that Rai had fully cooperated with investigators and had himself told the SIT that the truth should come out, even offering to be questioned first.
The BriefWire