‘The Bank Ignored Its Own Rules’: Champat Rai Accuses SBI of Lapses in Ram Temple Donation Theft Letter to SIT

In a major development in the ongoing Ram Temple donation theft case, Champat Rai, the recently deposed General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has submitted a formal statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Breaking his silence, Rai alleged severe lapses in the State Bank of India’s (SBI) cash counting processes and security arrangements, suggesting that proper safeguards could have prevented the multi-crore theft.

The one-page Hindi submission, dated July 6, directly questions the bank's operational protocols and distances Rai from controversial guidelines linked to the cash-handling process.

Rai Disowns 2025 Cash Counting Agreement

In his submission, Rai categorically disowned a document dated February 6, 2025, which detailed the joint guidelines for the temple's cash counting process. The document bore the signatures of former trust member Anil Mishra and Govind Mishra, the manager of SBI’s Naya Ghat branch.

Rai stated that while a copy was supposedly marked for the general secretary, he only discovered its existence on June 13, 2026, through the accounts office. He noted that his signature was completely missing from the document. “I absolutely do not agree with this letter. I reject it,” Rai stated in his submission. “On all agreements made from August 2020 to June 2026, there are only signatures of myself and the chief official of the respective second party. Why were my signatures not obtained on this guideline letter? If I was not in Ayodhya, then they should have waited.”

Rai contrasted this with a prior agreement from February 9, 2024, which he personally signed on every page. Under that valid 2024 agreement, strict security measures—including CCTV cameras and an iron-barred door at the counting room entrance, were successfully installed.

'The Bank Ignored Its Own Rules': Allegations of Lax Security

Rai placed heavy blame on SBI, alleging that standard bank chest room protocols were flouted with impunity and never flagged by bank officials. He pointed out that while strict protocols across Indian banks require rigorous entry/exit frisking and pocketless uniforms, these measures were ignored during the temple's cash counting.

“The bank did not enforce this, and despite being written in the guideline letter, it was not implemented. The clothes initially provided by the bank had pockets,” Rai noted, adding flatly, “The bank ignored its own chest room rules.” He also questioned the bank's decision to utilize temporary housekeeping personnel for such sensitive operations and criticized physical setups that inadvertently facilitated the crime.

“As per the MoU, all security measures were taken -- like CCTV cameras were installed in the counting room and a door with iron bars was installed on it. The bank advised that counting should be done by sitting on chairs and keeping the money on a table, which helped in the theft,” he wrote.

“Senior officials of the bank will explain how the leniency in following the chest room rules occurred. In my opinion, the rules operating in banks were completely ignored. Perhaps even the senior officials of the bank had no knowledge of this guideline letter, otherwise, the mistake would have been caught at some level.”

“The letter with guidelines was written in a hurry, and the bank did not follow it. The workers selected by the bank for counting were kept as housekeeping staff. Is this appropriate?” SBI has not issued an immediate response to these allegations. Meanwhile, former trustee Anil Mishra has remained silent since the controversy erupted.

Trust Accepts Resignations Amid Political Storm

Rai’s submission came just a day after the Ram Temple trust accepted his resignation alongside that of member Anil Mishra. In an effort to restore its public image, the trust also removed administrator Gopal Rao and formed a three-member panel to appoint a new chief executive officer. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member and trustee Krishna Mohan, who lodged the initial FIR, has been appointed as the interim general secretary.

During its meeting at the Ayodhya temple complex, the trust defended its integrity against detractors, asserting that all 2,926 offerings received from devotees were meticulously logged in an official register.

The escalating controversy has triggered widespread religious and political fallout, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections are scheduled for early next year.

How the Multi-Crore Donation Scam Unfolded

The scandal first came to light on June 7, 2026, when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that temple offerings worth Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore had been siphoned off. Following the outcry, the state government established the SIT on June 13.

The initial probe unearthed a systematic diversion of cash during the collection and counting stages, finding approximately 70 separate instances where personnel concealed note bundles and loose cash. Investigators concluded that the crime succeeded because prescribed security measures were not effectively enforced.

The investigation led to the arrest of eight employees on June 26, who were reportedly living lavishly beyond their legal means. Police subsequently recovered Rs 79,85,493 from the accused, discovering the stolen cash hidden in unusual locations, including bathrooms, haystacks, and cow dung cakes.

An FIR has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft, and criminal conspiracy, as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act. The eight arrested individuals are:

• Anukalp Mishra (related to trust member Anil Mishra)
• Lavkush Mishra (related to trust member Anil Mishra)
• Ram Shankar Yadav ‘Tinnu’ (an aide of Champat Rai)
• Manish Yadav (related to Ram Shankar Yadav)
• Subhash Srivastava
• Avinash Shukla
• Rama Shankar Mishra
• Karunesh Pandey

Rai Maintains Innocence and Vows Silence

Though Rai resigned from his post on moral grounds, he released an open letter to the devotees of Lord Ram maintaining his innocence and expressing grief over the allegations. “Since June 7, 2026, various types of discussions/rumors have been circulating regarding the theft committed during the counting of the donation box at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple premises. Personally many people have levelled baseless allegations against me. I have maintained silence," Rai wrote.

"In the temple trust meeting held on July 6, the preliminary report of the SIT (Special Investigation Team) was presented. This report has now become public, even though it was ‘top secret’. I assure you all that once the final report of the SIT is released, I will give my point-by-point reply in proper sequence to all the points being spread. The complete truth will come to light.”

Rai has stated that all allegations against him are false and has taken a vow of silence until the final SIT report is officially released.
 

Also Read: Trump Calls Iran ‘Cuckoo,’ Says US Could Strike Again Tonight