Champat Rai Resigns as Ram Temple Trust General Secretary; Krishna Mohan Takes Interim Charge
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignation of its General Secretary, Champat Rai, and appointed newly inducted trustee Krishna Mohan as Interim General Secretary, as it moved to contain the fallout from the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft case.
The decisions were taken during a meeting of the Trust at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, which lasted for more than three hours. The Trust also announced that it would meet again on July 22 to review the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) findings and appoint new office-bearers.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri said the controversy had caused deep anguish within the organisation.
“We are all hurt and saddened by this. Whether the theft was small or large is secondary. What pains us is that such an atmosphere was allowed to develop here,” he said.
Champat Rai Steps Down
Govind Giri said Champat Rai had tendered his resignation before the meeting, saying he believed it was inappropriate to continue in office until those responsible for the alleged theft were identified and punished.
“Champat Rai was deeply pained. He felt that until the culprits are caught and receive appropriate punishment, it would not be proper for him to continue,” Giri said.
He clarified that under the Trust’s constitution, a resignation takes effect immediately after it is submitted.
“Once the resignation had been tendered, the decision to accept or reject it was no longer in our hands. Under the Trust’s constitution, it is deemed accepted immediately,” he said.
Govind Giri also praised Rai’s contribution to the Ram Mandir movement, saying he had devoted decades to the cause and that the Trust respected his decision.
Krishna Mohan Named Interim General Secretary
The Trust handed over the responsibilities of General Secretary to Krishna Mohan until a permanent arrangement is made.
A retired Indian Forest Service officer from the Maharashtra cadre, Krishna Mohan belongs to Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh and has been associated with social work since his retirement. His induction also ensures the continuation of Dalit representation in the Trust after the tenure of former trustee Kameshwar Chaupal.
Trust Rejects Claims of Missing Donations
Seeking to counter allegations that valuables donated to the Ram Mandir had gone missing, Trust officials displayed several donated items before the media, including a gold Ramayana, symbolic footprints of Lord Ram, a necklace and an idol of Kagbhusundi.
Govind Giri said the Trust maintains a detailed register of approximately 2,800 donated items and insisted that every article was safe.
“We have brought the register containing records of all these items. Every donated item is accounted for. The items displayed today are only samples,” he said.
Committee Formed, Next Meeting on July 22
The Trust also constituted a small committee to recommend administrative reforms aimed at preventing similar controversies in the future.
“The work we undertake from now on will be carried out in such a manner that no one will be able to point to even the slightest lapse,” Govind Giri said.
He added that the Trust would consider appointments to key administrative posts and examine the SIT’s final report during its next meeting on July 22.
Trust Calls for Strict Punishment
Reiterating the Trust’s stand on the alleged theft, Govind Giri said those responsible must face the strictest action.
“Theft is theft. The SIT is investigating the matter, and we want every accused, including anyone still absconding, to be arrested and punished,” he said.
Appealing to devotees not to believe what he described as misinformation, he invited anyone with doubts to inspect the Trust’s records.
“If anyone believes something is missing, they are welcome to examine our records themselves. We have complete faith that justice will prevail and the guilty will be punished,” he said.
The meeting was advanced from its original July 11 schedule following the controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations offered at the Ram Mandir. The Uttar Pradesh government had constituted an SIT after irregularities surfaced in June, and several people associated with the counting of donations have since been arrested. The investigation is expected to conclude before the Trust’s next meeting later this month.
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