Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra stepped down from their positions on Friday, 26 June, as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) continued its probe into alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, estimated at more than ₹7 crore. Though neither official was directly implicated, their departures are being widely read as an act of moral accountability amid mounting public scrutiny over the temple's financial administration.

The Controversy and SIT Findings

The alleged misappropriation of temple donations has snowballed into a significant controversy, shaking public confidence in the Trust's administration. The SIT identified lapses in donation handling at the Ram Mandir and has so far arrested eight individuals in connection with the case. The probe remains active, and the resignations are expected to allow investigators to proceed without questions of institutional conflict of interest.

Who Is Champat Rai

Champat Rai, now 80, was born in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh and began his career as a Chemistry professor before committing himself fully to public and religious causes. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at a young age and became affiliated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in 1980. He was a central figure in the decades-long campaign for the construction of the Ram Temple, spending 18 months in jail during the Emergency — an experience that, by his own account, deepened his resolve.

Following the landmark Supreme Court verdict that cleared the path for temple construction, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted in February 2020, and Rai was appointed its General Secretary. He is reported to have overseen temple construction, administration, and donation management since the Trust's formation.

Who Is Anil Mishra

Anil Mishra served as a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, with a primarily administrative role covering temple affairs, organisational oversight, and donation handling. Unlike Rai, whose profile was shaped by national-level activism, Mishra's background was rooted in local governance and community work in Ayodhya — a profile that reportedly made him a natural choice for the Trust's effort to include individuals with strong local ties to the temple and its surroundings.

According to reports, Mishra held specific responsibility for overseeing donations and offerings — known as chadhava — placing him in close proximity to the financial operations now under scrutiny. His decision to resign is said to have been intended to ensure transparency and remove any potential perception of bias in the ongoing investigation.

What Happens Next

The SIT probe is ongoing, and the Trust is expected to undergo administrative restructuring following the resignations. The controversy has raised broader questions about donation oversight mechanisms at large religious institutions in India. With eight arrests already made and the investigation continuing, further developments in the case are anticipated in the coming weeks.