Barricades Broken, 'Jai Shri Ram' Chants: Ayodhya Lawyers Press For FIR Against Champat Rai In Donation Theft

Published 2 July 2026 · india

Barricades Broken, 'Jai Shri Ram' Chants: Ayodhya Lawyers Press For FIR Against Champat Rai In Donation Theft Published By, Last Updated: July 02, 2026, 12:31

Barricades Broken, 'Jai Shri Ram' Chants: Ayodhya Lawyers Press For FIR Against Champat Rai In Donation Theft Published By, Last Updated: July 02, 2026, 12:31 IST Lawyers in Ayodhya marched towards the police station, seeking an FIR against Champat Rai over alleged Ram Temple donation theft Lawyers in Ayodhya lodge an FIR against Champat Rai over alleged Ram Temple donation theft | Image credit: IANS With chants of “Jai Shree Ram", a group of 70-80 lawyers in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya marched towards the police station and lodged a complaint against Champat Rai, the former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, in connection with the alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple. Sources told CNN-News18 that a heavy security deployment was in place to prevent the lawyers from moving forward. Police also formed a human chain to ensure law and order in the region. However, the lawyers broke police barricades as they moved towards the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station in Ayodhya to file a complaint against Rai, demanding registration of an FIR over the alleged irregularities.

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: A group of lawyers from the Ayodhya district court marched towards the Ram Janmabhoomi police station to file an FIR. Heavy police deployment and barricading were put in place to stop them, but the lawyers proceeded after removing the barricades and moving… pic.twitter.com/k6UF8l3wlT— IANS (@ians_india) July 2, 2026 Earlier, the Faizabad Bar Association declared that it would file a complaint against Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao. It also threatened to launch agitation if no action was taken against the individuals named in the FIR. #WATCH | Ayodhya, UP | The members of the Faizabad Bar Association file a police complaint to file an FIR, naming Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao, in the alleged theft of donations in Ram Mandir pic.twitter.com/ZX0DBS3HqQ— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2026 The controversy stems from allegations that valuables –– gold, silver, and diamond ornaments –– offered by devotees at the Ram Temple were replaced with counterfeits, besides money being stolen.

A two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) is currently investigating the case, with investigators examining various angles linked to the case. The role of an outsourcing agency that allegedly handled individuals associated with the donation-counting process also came to the surface as authorities assessed whether the personnel had undergone mandatory police verification. The SIT has been given an additional 15 days to complete its probe. The team is also examining the movable and immovable assets of the arrested accused in the case. Champat Rai Grilled By SIT Champat Rai –– who recently stepped down as the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust amid mounting scrutiny over donation theft allegations –– was questioned by SIT on Monday. Sources told CNN-News18 that he denied any role in the alleged embezzlement of funds and maintained that he had never imagined employees entrusted with handling temple donations could commit such an offence. While Rai has not been named an accused in the case, he remains a key witness, given his high-profile role in overseeing administrative and finance-related activities of the temple trust.