Ram Temple Trust: All artefacts safe, Champat Rai resigns amid donation probe
Synopsis
The Ram Temple Trust's Monday meeting was a reckoning on two fronts: it shut down viral claims of missing artefacts by citing a verified 2,800-item inventory, and accepted Champat Rai's resignation — not because he is named in the FIR, but because moral accountability demanded it. With eight arrests, ₹7–8 crore allegedly diverted, and the SIT's final report due on 22 July, Ayodhya's most powerful religious body is in the middle of its gravest institutional crisis.
Key Takeaways
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust confirmed all 2,800 registered artefacts, including the Ramayan and Charan Paduka , are safe and accounted for.
Champat Rai resigned as General Secretary and Anil Mishra as trustee; both resignations were formally accepted on 7 July 2025 .
Krishna Mohan has been appointed Acting General Secretary pending a permanent appointment.
The SIT probe has led to the arrest of eight individuals accused of diverting offerings worth an estimated ₹7–8 crore .
The Trust received ₹3,264 crore in total donations; ₹2,370 crore has been spent on construction and capital expenditure.
The Trust's next meeting is on 22 July , when the SIT's final report will be reviewed and further action considered.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday, 7 July 2025, firmly denied social media claims that sacred items had gone missing from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, asserting that all artefacts are fully accounted for. The clarification came on the same day the Trust accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra amid an ongoing probe into alleged embezzlement of temple donations.
Trust Denies Missing Artefacts
Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri dismissed circulating social media claims, stating that the Trust maintains a registered inventory of approximately 2,800 sacred and historical objects, including the Ramayan and Charan Paduka. He reaffirmed that all items remain in safe custody and that proper records are being maintained. Giri emphasised that transparency in the management of temple assets continues to be upheld.
Champat Rai and Anil Mishra Step Down
In a meeting that lasted over three hours, the Trust formally accepted the resignations of Champat Rai as General Secretary and Anil Mishra as trustee. Senior trustee K. Parasaran clarified that the Trust's constitution requires an office-bearer's resignation to be accepted immediately upon submission, leaving the Trust with no procedural option to delay.
Notably, Champat Rai has not been named in the FIR or formally charged in the donation theft case. However, the acceptance of his resignation is widely being interpreted as a move towards moral accountability. According to Giri, Rai himself chose to step down, acknowledging that it would be inappropriate to continue in office until those responsible for the alleged theft are identified and punished.
Krishna Mohan Takes Interim Charge
Trustee Krishna Mohan has been appointed Acting General Secretary until a permanent appointment is made. He stated that restoring devotees' faith would be the Trust's immediate priority, vowing to plug procedural loopholes, strengthen monitoring mechanisms, and improve transparency in temple operations.
SIT Probe and Donation Irregularities
Trustees reviewed the progress of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged embezzlement. The Trust had itself requested the Uttar Pradesh government to order an impartial investigation after preliminary information about the irregularities surfaced. The SIT's findings led to the registration of an FIR and the arrest of eight accused, who allegedly manipulated the cash-counting process and diverted devotees' offerings worth an estimated ₹7–8 crore. Among those arrested is Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who had reportedly worked as Champat Rai's driver. No criminal case has been registered against Rai, Mishra, or other senior Trust functionaries as of now.
Financial Transparency and What Comes Next
The Trust stated that out of ₹3,264 crore received through donations and corpus contributions, ₹2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and capital expenditure. Additionally, ₹582 crore was received as offerings until 31 March 2026, of which ₹391 crore was used for operational expenses, with the remaining balance held in bank accounts. A dedicated committee has also been constituted to recommend safeguards and prevent similar incidents from recurring.
The Trust is scheduled to meet again on 22 July, when it is expected to examine the SIT's final findings and consider further administrative or legal action. The outcome of that meeting is likely to shape the next phase of accountability measures at one of India's most prominent religious institutions.
Point of View
A proximity that no amount of procedural distancing can easily erase. The Trust's financial disclosures — ₹3,264 crore received, ₹2,370 crore spent — are a rare transparency move for a religious body of this scale, yet the very fact that ₹7–8 crore could allegedly be skimmed from cash-counting suggests the oversight architecture was dangerously thin. The real test arrives on 22 July: whether the SIT's final findings prompt accountability beyond the eight arrested, or whether the institutional reset stops at the resignations.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Are artefacts missing from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya?
No. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has categorically denied claims of missing artefacts, stating it maintains a registered inventory of approximately 2,800 sacred and historical objects, all of which are accounted for. Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri dismissed the social media claims as unfounded.
Why did Champat Rai resign as General Secretary of the Ram Temple Trust?
Champat Rai resigned amid the ongoing probe into alleged embezzlement of temple donations, though he has not been named in the FIR or formally charged. The Trust accepted his resignation as a step towards moral accountability, with Treasurer Govind Dev Giri stating it would be inappropriate for him to continue until those responsible are identified and punished.
What is the SIT probe into the Ram Temple donation theft about?
The Special Investigation Team is probing alleged irregularities in the counting of temple donations, with accused individuals reportedly manipulating the cash-counting process to divert offerings worth an estimated ₹7–8 crore. The probe has so far resulted in the arrest of eight individuals, including Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav.
Who is now in charge of the Ram Temple Trust after Champat Rai's resignation?
Trustee Krishna Mohan has been appointed Acting General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust until a permanent appointment is made. He has said restoring devotees' faith and strengthening transparency will be his immediate priorities.
What happens next in the Ram Temple Trust donation probe?
The Trust is scheduled to meet on 22 July to examine the SIT's final findings and decide on further administrative or legal action. A dedicated committee has also been formed to recommend safeguards to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
