Ram Temple Trust Accepts Champat Rai's Resignation; Bajrang Bagra Named Successor

Published 6 July 2026 · india

Ram Temple Trust Accepts Champat Rai's Resignation; Bajrang Bagra Named Successor Published By, Last Updated: July 06, 2026, 15:44 IST Champat Rai had tendered his

Ram Temple Trust Accepts Champat Rai's Resignation; Bajrang Bagra Named Successor Published By, Last Updated: July 06, 2026, 15:44 IST Champat Rai had tendered his resignation on June 26 as the probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations picked up pace. Champat Rai had tendered his resignation after the reports of alleged theft of funds at Ram Temple surfaced. (File photo) Amid an ongoing probe into the alleged theft of funds donated to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignation of Champat Rai. The temple trust has also announced that Bajrang Bagra will replace Rai as the general secretary of the trust, sources said. The development comes as the trust held a crucial meeting on the temple premises in Ayodhya today.

Alleged Donation Theft Probe Triggers Resignations Rai had tendered his resignation on June 26 as the probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations picked up pace, with the police arresting eight people, including his driver, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu, a day earlier. Besides Rai, Anil Mishra, one of the trustees of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, had also resigned. Though the duo were linked to the donation theft row, no criminal case has been registered against either of them. Temple Trust Meeting Underway It is learnt that Rai was present within the temple complex but didn’t attend the meeting. The meeting, the trust’s most significant since its formation in 2020, which is underway, is expected to focus on the probe and proposed governance reforms. The meeting, convened by Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri, is being chaired by Trust President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and attended by senior trustees, government representatives and legal experts.

Trust Reviews SIR Probe, Governance Reforms The Trust’s meeting is expected to also review the SIT’s interim findings into the alleged embezzlement case, discuss the Ram temple’s future management framework, and consider the role of special invitee Gopal Rao. Trustees are also likely to approve the 2025-26 unaudited financial statements and discuss appointing a CEO for the temple. All 14 trustees have been invited, Rao said, PTI repoted. The meeting comes as the SIT and police continue parallel probes into the alleged embezzlement. Statements of Rai, Mishra and Rao have been recorded but no FIR has been filed against them. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk.