In its first meeting since allegations of donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya surfaced, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, in its first major shake-up since 2020, announced a sweeping organisational overhaul, including leadership changes and the creation of a new chief executive officer (CEO) post, on Monday.
The Trust accepted the resignations of two key members, general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra, and appointed senior RSS functionary and retired Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer Krishna Mohan as interim General Secretary. It also announced a three-member committee, comprising retired judge Justice Pramod Kohli, former Lieutenant General Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and Suresh Haware, to recommend names for a CEO to manage the temple complex.
Rai and Mishra had tendered their resignations after an FIR was lodged on June 25 and eight arrests were made in connection with the case.
The Trust will meet again on July 22, by which time it expects the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case to submit its final report. The meeting will also consider filling three vacancies among trustees, one that arose following the death of Vimlendra Pratap Mishra last year and two following Monday’s resignations.
Trustee Anil Mishra (left) and general secretary Champat Rai (right). (Express photo)
In a significant move, it released records of donations received and spent. It said offerings made by devotees visiting the temple until March 31, 2026, totalled Rs 582 crore, of which Rs 319 crore had been spent on temple operations, with the remainder held in bank accounts.
Since its formation, the Trust said it received Rs 3,246 crore through the nationwide Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan and other donations, of which Rs 2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and related capital works.
Addressing the media after the meeting which lasted over three hours, Trust treasurer Govind Giri said it was originally scheduled for July 11 but was advanced because of the “extraordinary situation” following the alleged thefts.
“The construction of Shri Ram Lalla’s grand temple was a moment of immense joy after a struggle spanning over 500 years and countless sacrifices. In such a temple, the incident of theft from the donation boxes during counting is deeply painful and shameful for all of us,” he said.
Without commenting on the scale of the alleged theft, Giri said the Trust’s primary concern was the damage caused to the sentiments of devotees and the institution’s credibility: “Whether the theft was small or big comes later. The atmosphere that has been created is what has hurt all of us.”
Giri said Rai, who had been serving as general secretary since the Trust’s inception, voluntarily submitted his resignation, saying he felt it would not be appropriate to continue in office until justice was done.
According to Giri, founder trustee K Parasaran, 99, who attended the meeting virtually, informed Trust members that under the Trust’s constitution, a resignation takes effect immediately upon being tendered. “… We had no choice but to accept it,” he said.
Giri said Mohan would be free to choose a team to assist him. “We have full faith that with his knowledge, clean outlook and administrative experience, he will discharge these responsibilities with utmost efficiency.”
In his first remarks after taking charge, Mohan acknowledged that shortcomings in the Trust’s internal systems had allowed the alleged irregularities to occur: “… My first priority will be to identify and close every such loophole so such incidents are never repeated.”
“The atmosphere that has been created has affected the Trust’s image and generated distrust in society. All trustees will work together to restore that trust and re-establish confidence of devotees,” he added.
Hailing from Hardoi, Mohan, 74, served in the Maharashtra cadre of the IFoS before retiring as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. He has held several organisational responsibilities in the RSS.
Reiterating that “theft is theft” and demanding strict action against all those involved, Giri accused certain groups of using the controversy to defame the Ram Temple movement and create divisions among devotees.
Seeking to reassure devotees, Giri said the Trust maintained records of offerings, including a register containing details of around 2,800 donated valuables, and pledged to make its systems more transparent. “The Trust is committed to ensuring no one gets an opportunity to point fingers at our systems in future,” he said.
Mohan added that the Trust would also clearly communicate how donations made by devotees visiting the temple are utilised to fulfil the Trust’s objectives so “accurate information reaches society and misconceptions are removed”.
Those present at the meeting included Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, representatives including Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi and other trustees.
As part of the organisational changes, the Trust also decided to remove Gopal Nagarkatte alias Gopal Rao from the list of special invitees. It did not specify the reason. A former RSS prant pracharak, Rao was brought in after controversies related to land deals of the Trust and was in-charge of daily activities such as darshan. His role has now come under a cloud.
Referring to the investigation, the Trust said the SIT’s preliminary probe has led to FIRs and arrests, while stressing that criminal liability should be determined only after the investigation is completed. It said the SIT has been asked to seek help from experts in modern management systems to identify administrative and operational shortcomings and recommend corrective measures.
Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra treasurer Govind Giri and interim general secretary Krishna Mohan in Ayodhya, Monday. (ANI) 
Trustee Anil Mishra (left) and general secretary Champat Rai (right). (Express photo)
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