Ram Mandir Trust chief Champat Rai resigns from post
What's the story
Ram Mandir trust chief Champat Rai and prominent trustee Anil Mishra have submitted their resignation after a controversy over alleged misappropriation of temple donations, according to India Today The resignations arise under increasing scrutiny following the initial findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which highlighted significant shortcomings in the management and supervision of donations made by devotees at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
FIR
1st FIR in case registered
The first FIR in the case has been filed based on the recommendation of the SIT. The complaint was submitted by trust member Krishna Mohan, who became a member of the trust in September 2025 following the death of former trustee Kameshwar Chaupal. On Thursday, hours after the FIR, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested all eight accused named in the case.
Arrests
Names of accused
The arrested include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu. They have been booked under charges related to theft, criminal breach of trust, concealment of stolen property, criminal conspiracy, and offences committed with common intent under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Perliminary findings
KLAS
According to sources cited by India Today, the SIT's preliminary findings identified procedural failures at multiple stages. Reportedly, gaps were found in employee verification, checking of staff entering and exiting sensitive areas, CCTV surveillance, and irregularities in the movement of donations from the temple premises to the trust office, and finally to bank deposits.