Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust Announces Leadership Overhaul After Donation Embezzlement Scandals

The management trust accepts the resignation of its general secretary and creates a new CEO position after police arrest eight individuals for embezzling sacred offerings.

AYODHYA — The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust—the independent regulatory board overseeing India’s landmark Ram Mandir in Ayodhya—has announced an immediate management overhaul. The structural shakeup follows a state-directed criminal investigation into allegations that tens of millions of rupees in devotee donations were systematically stolen.

Following an emergency board meeting on Monday, trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri confirmed that long-standing general secretary Champat Rai and fellow official Anil Mishra formally tendered their resignations. The administrative restructuring comes directly on the heels of a formal police complaint lodged on June 25, 2026, which exposed deep vulnerabilities in the temple’s internal cash-handling protocols.

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1. Criminal Arrests and the SIT Investigation

The controversy erupted after a former accounts supervisor alleged he was wrongfully terminated for internally flagging systemic financial discrepancies. While initial complaints were dismissed by board executives, the escalating political friction prompted the state government to form a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Chronology of the Embezzlement Probe:
├── Whistleblower flags cash and jewelry discrepancies internally
├── State government deploys a 3-member Special Investigation Team (SIT)
├── Ayodhya police file formal charges of embezzlement on June 25, 2026
└── Eight named suspects are arrested and placed under active interrogation

While an unverified estimate by a former city legislator claims that more than 70 million rupees ($739,550) is entirely missing, the trust has refrained from confirming a final deficit until the state police submit their definitive forensic accounting report by July 22, 2026.

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2. Institutional Restructuring & The New Leadership

To restore public confidence and repair damage to the institution’s credibility, the board has implemented an immediate interim hierarchy and introduced a permanent corporate governance layer:

• Interim General Secretary: Retired forest officer Krishna Mohan has been appointed to step into the vacancy left by Rai. Mohan is a prominent member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

• Creation of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Position: Moving away from a purely clerical trust setup, a new, formalized corporate CEO post has been authorized. A specialized three-member panel has been established to vet and recommend high-level administrative candidates for the role.

• Systemic Security Audits: Upon taking office, interim head Krishna Mohan announced that his immediate operational mandate is to run an exhaustive vulnerability check to identify and permanently close logistical loopholes in the donation collection grid.

3. Financial Disclosure of Temple Offerings

During the press briefing, treasurer Govind Dev Giri provided a rare look into the massive volume of financial ledger balances processed by the shrine’s accounting teams since its high-profile inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024.

Addressing reporters, Giri defended the integrity of the core trustees, clarifying that the financial fraud was executed by peripheral staff and trusted close associates of Champat Rai who were responsible for sorting and counting the physical donation boxes.

“Whether the theft was small or big comes later. The atmosphere that has been created is what has hurt all of us,” Giri stated, noting that the betrayal has caused immense distress to the approximately 50 million pilgrims who visit the destination annually.

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