Ayodhya : Days after the alleged misuse of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir created a major controversy, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chief Champat Rai and trust member Anil Mishra resigned on Friday. The first FIR in the case was registered based on the SIT’s recommendation. The complaint was filed by trust member Krishna Mohan, who joined the trust in September 2025 after the death of former trustee Kameshwar Chaupal.
The arrested people are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu. Police are questioning them while completing the legal process. The FIR includes charges of theft, criminal breach of trust, hiding stolen property, criminal conspiracy and corruption under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member SIT on June 13 to investigate how temple donations were collected, stored and deposited. According to sources, the SIT found several problems in the system. Employee verification was weak, staff checking was not done properly, CCTV monitoring was poor and there were irregularities in the movement of donations from the temple to the trust office and then to the bank.
The issue soon turned political after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav referred to reports about missing donation money and demanded a judicial inquiry. After the FIR was registered, he questioned whether only lower-level workers would face action while senior officials escaped responsibility. At the same time, several leaders linked to the Ram Mandir movement demanded transparency. They said strict action should be taken if any wrongdoing is proved and stressed that the faith of millions of devotees must be protected.
Speaking at a public event in Deoria, Yogi said the government acted immediately after receiving the SIT’s findings. He also recalled his visit to Ayodhya on June 19 and said the government had promised not to compromise on matters related to the temple town. He said protecting Ayodhya’s dignity remains a top priority. The SIT is continuing its investigation and is expected to submit its final report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
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