Ram Temple Theft Case: Trust Accepts Champat Rai, Anil Mishra's Resignations at Ayodhya Meeting

New Delhi: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, amid the Ayodhya temple donation embezzlement case. The duo, in the eye of the storm since the allegations of theft came to light, had resigned on June 27 after the Uttar Pradesh police arrested eight people in connection with the case. The trust also announced that they would be removing Gopal Nagarkatte – also known as Gopal Rao – from the list of special invitees. The decision came in a meeting of the trustees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Monday (July 6) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The Trust accepted the resignations "on moral grounds to ensure an impartial investigation", while terming the theft as "unfortunate".

In a press statement, they said, "The Trust has accepted both resignations on moral grounds to ensure an impartial investigation. The Trust has also decided to remove Shri Gopal Nagarkote [Nagarkatte] from the list of special invitee members. The Trust believes that the truth will emerge once the legal process of investigation is completed, and until then, it is inappropriate to make allegations against any individual."

"The trustees said they were deeply hurt and concerned by the irregularities in the counting of donations and expressed profound regret over the unfortunate incident," the statement read.

The trust has also constituted a three-member committee to recommend candidates for the post of chief executive officer. The list comprises retired Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Haware.

Until a new general secretary is selected, the trust said, member Krishna Mohan is to serve in the post.

श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र (न्यास) की एक बैठक आज न्यास के अध्यक्ष पूज्य नृत्य गोपाल दास जी महाराज की अध्यक्षता में संपन्न हुई। बैठक के पश्चात जारी वक्तव्य

A meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (Trust) was held today under the chairmanship of the Trust’s… pic.twitter.com/Sv7Gi9GWQv

— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) July 6, 2026

It further claimed that some people were using the incident as an "opportunity to weaken" the Ram temple and the Hindu faith.

"...some people are attempting to use this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to weaken the Shri Ramlalla Temple, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Hindu society, and the broader Hindu faith. According to the Trust, baseless allegations are being presented before the public with the objective not of bringing out the truth, but of continuously spreading misinformation," it stated.

They said that apart from cash donations, many devotees have offered gifts in kind. A total of 2,126 such gifts have been received, the statement read. "Each gift has been entered in the register with complete details, including the donor's name and the date, and undergoes annual physical verification by an independent chartered accountant firm acting as the internal auditor. Receipts have been issued to all devotees who made donations at the counter, and receipts have also been issued for donations made outside the counter wherever the donor provided their details," the statement added.

Also read: Did Champat Rai and Anil Mishra Have Any 'Moral Ground' When They Resigned from the Ram Temple Trust?

The allegations came to light early last month, after which some seven police complaints are known to have been filed with the police thus far.

The first information report (FIR) in the matter was registered by the Uttar Pradesh police on June 25 on the basis of a complaint submitted by trustee Krishna Mohan. It was alleged that some of those involved in counting of the money received as offerings by the temple have engaged in embezzling the funds in a well-planned and criminal manner.

Two investigations were launched: one is being conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and another by the police.

'Theft is theft'

Trust treasurer Govind Giri, in a media briefing after the meeting, said, "Under the constitution of the trust, the resignation is considered accepted. We accepted the resignation."

"Theft is a theft. The SIT is doing its job. We also stress that all those who are accused – known or unknown – must be punished," he said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

A few days ago, three-term former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Faizabad and Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar had declared that Champat Rai, administrative official Gopal Rao and trustee Anil Mishra may have to go to jail over the controversy.

Meanwhile, in the statement, the Trust has also asked the media to provide evidence to the SIT instead of making "public allegations".

"The Trust appeals that if any individual, organisation, or journalist has concrete evidence of irregularities against any person associated with the temple, they should submit it to the SIT or the concerned investigating agency instead of making public allegations. The Trust believes that the investigating agencies will certainly take action based on the evidence," it stated.

The next meeting is reportedly scheduled for July 22, by which time the trustees expect the SIT to submit its final report.

Rai, Mishra's resignation not enough, says opposition

Congress MP and media in-charge Pawan Khera welcomed Rai and Mishra's resignations being accepted but called for the entire trust to to reconstituted.

“The country does not need piecemeal resignations. It deserves a complete dissolution and overhaul of the Trust, and every one of its members must face an independent, Supreme Court-supervised investigation,” he said on X, also criticising treasurer Giri making an announcement and Krishna Mohan's appointment as general secretary.

Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja also said that Rai and Mishra stepping down is not enough.

“There must be a judicial probe, the CCTV footage should be made public and the entire affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should be subjected to a CAG audit. The truth must come out and accountability must be ensured,” wrote Raja on X. “The faith of millions cannot be allowed to become a source of political influence or financial abuse,” he said.

Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party too criticised Monday's developments as inadequate.

“Champat Rai has resigned. Anil Mishra has resigned. ‘The resignations have been accepted. Celebrate for the resignations have been accepted!’ Then any corrupt individual will resign from their post. An authority can loot thousands of crores and say, ‘I have resigned. That's the end of that.’ Did they receive punishment for their corruption?” Rajya Sabha MP for Delhi Singh said in a video message.

He asked Prime Minister Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath why Rai and Mishra legal action is not being taken against Rai and Mishra.