Resignations, Nepotism, Tight Security: Ram Mandir Trust Faces Massive Shake-Up As Top Officials Exit, FIR Names Key Accused

Ayodhya: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is undergoing a massive administrative overhaul as a widening investigation into the alleged embezzlement of temple donations triggers high-profile exits. 

Following the recent resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra, sources indicate that Temple Manager Gopal Rao is also likely to step away from temple operations this week.

Currently, the process of counting daily offerings takes place under camera surveillance and in Rao's direct presence. 

However, sources suggest his voluntary withdrawal may occur even before a Trust board meeting scheduled for July 11, at which a completely new arrangement for administrative operations is set to be devised.

Simultaneously, the Ram Mandir Trust has initiated a comprehensive review of all internal staff appointments, shifting toward a zero-tolerance policy against nepotism. 

Moving swiftly to enhance administrative transparency, the Trust is preparing to take strict action against employees who bypassed established recruitment procedures.

The investigation is actively mapping out personnel who were appointed based on external recommendations rather than competitive, rules-based criteria. 

Officials stated that if an investigation reveals that any employee was recruited in violation of prescribed guidelines, their services will be terminated immediately.

The administrative purging follows an intensifying probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into a massive donation scam involving the alleged theft of offerings worth over Rs 7 crore. 

While the police have already recorded the statement of outgoing General Secretary Champat Rai, investigators are preparing to question Dr Anil Mishra and examine other core office-bearers to unearth the deeper roots of the financial irregularity.

All eight accused in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case are scheduled to be produced before the Special Court for Corruption Act cases in Ayodhya today for judicial custody proceedings, as the local bar association meets to decide whether its lawyers will represent them.

Tight security has been put in place at the Ayodhya court, with a large police force deployed both inside the court premises and outside the complex.

The accused were sent to jail till Monday by the remand magistrate on Friday. They are expected to be sent back to judicial custody after today's appearance. The Ayodhya Bar Association will decide on providing representation to the accused.

Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on June 25 in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to officials, the case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Those who have been named in the FIR are: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others. This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.

Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, after a request by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

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