The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is convening a crucial meeting in Ayodhya to address the preliminary SIT report on the high-profile Ram Temple donation theft and the subsequent resignations of key trustees, alongside discussions on financial management and a new CEO.
Key Points
- The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet to discuss the SIT's preliminary report on the Ram Temple donation theft.
- Key agenda items include reviewing the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, who are under scrutiny.
- Discussions will also cover the appointment of a CEO for Ram Temple affairs and the approval of financial statements for 2025-26.
- Parallel investigations by a Special Investigation Team and police are ongoing, with statements recorded from senior Trust officials.
- Eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the donation theft, and important evidence has been recovered from an accused's home.
Members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet at Mani Ramdas Chavni in Ayodhya on Monday to discuss the preliminary report of SIT, formed to probe the Ram Temple donation theft and the resignations of its trustees in its wake.
The meeting, as per the agenda seen by PTI, is scheduled for 3 pm. Sources said discussions on appointing a CEO to manage the Ram Temple affairs will also come up for discussion.
The first of the five-point agenda of the meeting, confirmed by officials Saturday, is a discussion of the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, both of whom, along with special invitee Gopal Rao, have been in the eye of the storm since the theft came to the fore.
Ongoing Investigations and FIR Demands
The meeting is happening amid two parallel investigations into the allegations, one being conducted by a Special Investigation Team, or SIT, whose tenure has been extended till July end, and another by the police.
Both SIT and police have recorded statements of these three senior Trust officials.
No FIR has still been registered against the three of the Trust functionaries. Lawyers from Faizabad Bar Association, however, have submitted a written complaint to the police seeking an FIR against Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao.
The other points in the agenda include a discussion of the unaudited ('alekhaparikshit') income-expenses statement and balance sheet for the financial year 2025-26, other financial details and their approval.
The agenda for the meeting was issued by treasurer Govind Dev Giri.
Key Arrests and Evidence Recovery in Donation Theft
Trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who due to age related issues attended previous meets virtually, is currently unwell and recovering at a Lucknow hospital.
The hospital in its medical bulletin on Friday said he is expected to be discharged in two-three days. Mani Ramdas Chavni is the ashram of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
Eight persons named in an FIR filed following SIT's preliminary report have since been arrested.
While all of them had earlier been remanded to 14 day judicial custody till July 23, police later sought and got custody remand of Avinash Shukla, one of the key accused, according to the investigators.
Police sources said some important evidence linked to the donation theft has been recovered from Shukla's house in Ayodhya.
