Kumar Bahukhandi
Former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai (left) with former trustee Anil Mishra. The SIT’s final report in the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft case does not name either of them as accused( File Photo)
SIT Report Brings Major Relief for Former Ram Mandir Trust Office-Bearers as Probe Remains Focused on Eight FIR-Named Accused
IN Short
- Final SIT report finds no evidence warranting action against the former Trust general secretary and trustee
- Eight persons named in the original FIR remain at the centre of the alleged embezzlement case
- Development comes weeks after Rai and Mishra resigned amid scrutiny and were questioned during the investigation
- Separate process to appoint a new CEO of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust reaches advanced stage
Ayodhya: Former Shri Ram Janam abhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Anil Mishra have not been named as accused in the Special Investigation Team’s final report into the alleged theft and embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, marking a significant development in a controversy that had placed the Trust’s functioning under intense scrutiny.
The final report has been submitted following an investigation into alleged irregularities in the handling of devotees’ offerings. Rai and Mishra, who had faced questioning during the investigation, do not figure among those against whom the SIT has found grounds for action.
The finding assumes significance because both men had stepped down from their positions after the controversy erupted. Their resignations came amid demands for accountability and after eight people were named in an FIR connected with the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
The eight persons named in the FIR were Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu. All eight were subsequently arrested.
From Scrutiny and Resignations to SIT Findings
The case had attracted national attention not only because it concerned donations offered by devotees at the Ram Mandir, but also because the investigation raised wider questions about the systems governing the receipt, counting, custody and deposit of offerings.
Rai was questioned during the investigation and denied involvement in the alleged wrongdoing. He had maintained that action was initiated after irregularities came to his notice. Mishra was also questioned by the SIT as investigators examined the functioning of the donation-handling system.
The final report’s decision not to name either Rai or Mishra as accused therefore represents an important turn in the case, although the criminal proceedings concerning those formally accused remain a separate matter.
Meanwhile, the process of selecting a Chief Executive Officer for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is also moving towards its final stages. Interviews have concluded and a shortlist is understood to have been prepared after thousands of applications were received for the position.
The two developments — the SIT’s findings and the Trust’s administrative restructuring — come after weeks of controversy surrounding the management of donations at one of India’s most prominent religious institutions.
