Champat Rai gets clean chit in Ram Temple donation embezzlement case: Report

Former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai, has reportedly been given a clean chit by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing an alleged donation embezzlement case at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to a Hindustan Times report, citing sources, the report has been handed over to the Trust by the Home Department for further action.

It further stated that the final report by the SIT does not name Rai and former trust member Anil Mishra, both of whom have resigned from their posts on June 27.

However, the probe by the second SIT set under the Supreme Court’s supervision is going on.

First SIT report and FIR

The first SIT was formed on June 13 on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directions at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's request. Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant headed it, with inspector general of police (Lucknow range) Kiran S and special secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan Kumar as members.

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The SIT submitted its preliminary report on June 23, following which an FIR was registered in Ayodhya on June 25.

The case was registered at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station on trust member Krishna Mohan's complaint. The FIR named Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu. All eight are arrested and in jail.

Cash thefts flagged in probe

The report said that cash thefts were detected around 70 times in the counting room between April 27 and June 5, 2026, as stated in media reports. CCTV footage allegedly showed employees repeatedly concealing and taking away cash.

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It found non-compliance with the standard operating procedure followed by the trust and the State Bank of India. Proper frisking was absent at entry and exit.

The second SIT headed by Kiran S is overseeing the case pursuant to the Supreme Court's directions.

Allegations that triggered probe

Controversy began June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that Rs 5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore from temple offerings had been siphoned off.

A preliminary inquiry was conducted in Ayodhya from June 15 to 20. The SIT reviewed donation boxes, cash counting, storage, accounts, access control and CCTV surveillance. It flagged prima facie irregularities in cash and valuables handling.