Champat Rai appears in Ayodhya temple after donation misuse allegations
Champat Rai, who used to be the general secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, stepped out in public at Ayodhya's Tapasvi Chhawani temple for the first time since being accused of misusing Ram temple donations in June 2026.
He had been keeping a low profile at Teerth Kshetra Bhawan ever since those June 2026 allegations.
Paramhans Acharya praises Rai, 8 arrested
Rai was greeted with a ceremony by Chief Priest Paramhans Acharya, who said, "The grand Ram temple was built under Champat Rai's leadership, and he commands immense respect in society," and added that seers had requested Rai to settle permanently in Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government's investigation into the alleged embezzlement is ongoing: eight people have been arrested so far.
Rai has called the accusations "baseless" and says he will wait for the probe results before saying more.