Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust to Discuss Resignations Amid Donation Probe

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, is scheduled to hold a crucial meeting on Monday. The agenda includes discussions on the resignations submitted by its general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, following allegations of donation embezzlement. The meeting will take place at Mani Ram Chhawni, the monastery of Trust president Nritya Gopal Das.

Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has invited all regular and ex-officio members to attend. Ex-officio members include senior government officials such as Union Home Ministry Additional Secretary Prashant Lokhande, Additional Chief Secretary to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Sanjay Prasad, Ayodhya District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi, and former principal secretary to the prime minister Nripendra Mishra.

President Nritya Gopal Das, aged 89, is expected to attend after being discharged from a Lucknow hospital on Friday. He was admitted on June 29 with a urinary tract infection and breathing difficulties. Senior trustee K Parasaran, who cannot travel due to health issues, may participate via video conference.

The resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra came after they were linked to a donation theft row. If accepted, the Trust may consider a new administrative structure. The role of special invitee Gopal Rao is also expected to be discussed.

The meeting will include a briefing on the interim findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the embezzlement case. An unaudited income and expenditure statement, balance sheet, and other financial details for the 2025-26 fiscal year will be presented for approval. Discussions on appointing a chief executive officer for the Ram temple management are also on the agenda.

Special invitee Gopal Rao confirmed that all 14 trustees have been invited. Currently, the Trust has 11 regular members, including the president. With the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, and the recent death of trustee Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, the Trust lacks a vice president to preside over meetings in the president's absence.

Two parallel investigations into the alleged embezzlement are underway: an administrative probe by the SIT, extended till July end, and a police investigation following an FIR lodged on the Trust's complaint. Statements from Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao have been recorded by both agencies, but no FIR has been filed against any of them.