Ram Mandir donation scam: Champat Rai, Anil Mishra resign

Amid allegations in the Ram Temple donation embezzlement, Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and Anil Mishra, Trust member, have tendered their resignation on Saturday. Vijay Shankar Tiwari, national spokesperson of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has confirmed the resignations.Allegations of corruption was raised against Rai with regard to donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJTK) Trust. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Saturday confirmed that it had received the resignation letters of its General Secretary, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra amid an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities involving temple donations. The Trust also sought to reassure devotees, saying that all donated silver bricks, ornaments and other offerings made to the Ram Mandir were safe and properly documented.
Assuring devotees about offerings made to the temple, the Trust said, "The Trust assures those devotees who personally handed over silver bricks, ornaments, and other items to the Trust officials as offerings in the service of Lord Shri Ram that these items are safely available along with proper records." It further asserted that "anti-social, irreligious, and self-serving elements will not be allowed to succeed in their attempts to tarnish Sanatan Dharma" and urged people to protect themselves from "misleading and baseless rumours being spread."

श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र के कोषाध्यक्ष पूज्य स्वामी गोविन्द देव गिरी जी महाराज का वक्तव्य

Statement by the Treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Pujya Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj pic.twitter.com/I8goCrrEt9

— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) June 27, 2026

The move followed the registration of an FIR that named eight known accused and several unidentified persons in connection with the alleged donation theft. The case was filed following recommendations from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was constituted on June 13 by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe allegations of irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings made by devotees at the temple. Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu have been named as accused in the FIR and were arrested on Thursday, June 25. All of them have been sent to judicial custody till June 29. Charges pertaining to theft, criminal breach of trust, receiving or concealing stolen property, criminal conspiracy and acts committed in furtherance of a common intention, along with other offences, have been invoked against them. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has vowed that "no one" found guilty of playing with people's faith will be spared.