Ayodhya temple theft: SIT clears Champat Rai, flags oversight
India
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has cleared former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai of criminal conspiracy in the Ayodhya temple theft case. Still, they flagged oversight failures during his time in charge.
The SIT is likely to submit its final report to the Uttar Pradesh government on July 14, 2026.
Temple donations: Anil Mishra held responsible
Dr. Anil Mishra has been held responsible for irregularities with temple donations: about ₹3 crore was reportedly misused, and only ₹80 lakh has been recovered so far.
Eight people were arrested after cash discrepancies surfaced, and the SIT recommended transparency measures, including third-party audits, stricter supervision, and better hiring practices to keep things clean going forward.