Abira Mukherjee | Ayodhya6 hours ago
Amid the Ayodhya Ram Mandir offering theft case, the names of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra have been removed from the website of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Tuesday.
Earlier, the VIP pass IDs of both had also been blocked. New VIP pass IDs have been issued in the names of interim general secretary Krishna Mohan and trustee Mahant Dinendra Das.
Posters targeting the Samajwadi Party were put up late Monday night in several Uttar Pradesh districts, including Ayodhya, Barabanki and Mathura. The posters carry pictures of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav with the message: “Babar in the heart, Ram on the lips.” On Tuesday morning, SP workers tear down the hoardings.
In the offering theft case, police will file an application in court on Tuesday seeking the remand of accused Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu and Subhash Srivastava. According to sources, police may seek their seven-day remand.
If granted, both will be questioned. Earlier, police had taken accused Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey on remand and questioned them.
The details of Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have been removed from the trust website.
Read all updates related to the Ram Mandir case in the live blog.
Updates
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust treasurer Swami Govinddev Giri says, “As per my estimate, the theft could be around ₹3 crore. The claim that gold-silver jewellery and cash worth ₹14 crore were stolen is incorrect.”
On the demand for a fair investigation into the Ram Temple donation case, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh says, “This is not our matter, it is not the matter of the public either. Neither we nor the people can do anything in this. Only those conducting the investigation can take action. Nothing will happen by what you or I say.”
He says that since the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the matter, it will order a CBI investigation if it deems appropriate.
On posters in Ayodhya featuring old statements of Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav, he says, “As elections come closer, old statements and old posters will be brought out. Everyone’s will come out.”
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust treasurer Swami Govinddev Giri Maharaj held a press conference in Pune. He said, “Champat Rai resigned on his own. It would not be right to say that he was made a scapegoat. But he was negligent. He realised this himself and therefore resigned voluntarily. No one pressured him to resign.”
He further said, “I am satisfied with the SIT investigation. I am not putting any pressure on anyone. We are not trying to influence the investigation in any way, and why would we do that? This crime has been committed against Lord Ram. People with such bad intentions should be punished.”
He said, “In Pune, where I am sitting today, I only have a one-room and one-kitchen house. Not even a single brick of it is in my name. The reports being run about my resignation are false. I have not resigned. I am a follower of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I am not among those who run away from the battlefield.”
Former IG and national president of Azad Adhikar Sena, Amitabh Thakur, has applied for the post of CEO of the Ram Temple. He says he is eligible for the position as per the experience criteria mentioned in the Ram Temple Trust’s notification.
Amitabh Thakur was a 1992-batch IPS officer. His first posting as ASP was in Gorakhpur, followed by his first posting as SP in Pithoragarh. Later, he served in several districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Amitabh’s wife Dr Nutan Thakur is a social activist. On March 23, 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs compulsorily retired Amitabh Thakur from service.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust trustee Dinendra Das Ji Maharaj says, “A large number of people are reaching the temple for darshan. There has been no decline in the number of devotees.”
On the Supreme Court hearing regarding arrangements at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, he says, “When the Supreme Court gives its decision, harmony and love will continue in the country. The Chief Minister is a saintly person and a devotee of Lord Ram. If anyone makes a mistake, he immediately takes action.”
Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap, speaking on the Ram Temple donation controversy, says, “We respect every decision of the Supreme Court and stand with it, but the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is very serious about the Ayodhya donation theft case. That is why the SIT was formed, an FIR was registered and arrests were made.”
He says the Chief Minister is determined to ensure that no one gets an opportunity to carry out such incidents in the future. The government is moving towards taking the strictest possible steps. He adds that based on the investigation report, the government will take whatever stringent action is required.
Posters targeting the Samajwadi Party were put up late Monday night in several Uttar Pradesh districts, including Ayodhya and Barabanki. The posters carried pictures of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav with the message, “Babar in the heart, Ram on the lips.” On Tuesday morning, SP workers tore down the hoardings.
The Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust has announced recruitment for the post of CEO (Chief Executive Officer) for the first time in six years. Applicants must be Hindu and should be between 50 and 70 years of age. The required educational qualification is graduation. The CEO will report to the General Secretary. The last date to apply is July 18, 2026, till 4 pm.
The SIT investigation has revealed that several recommendations remained limited to files over the past six years and were not implemented on the ground. The recommended device for scanning vehicles was not procured. The proposal to install AI-powered cameras was also not implemented.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap, speaking on the Ram Temple donation controversy, says, “We respect every decision of the Supreme Court and stand by it, but the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is very serious about the Ayodhya donation theft case. That is why an SIT was formed, an FIR was registered and arrests were made.”
He says the Chief Minister is committed to ensuring that no one gets an opportunity to carry out such incidents in the future. The government is moving towards taking the strictest possible action. He adds that based on the investigation report, the government will proceed with the toughest action deemed necessary.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand will visit Ayodhya on July 17. His religious tour will cover all five assembly constituencies. In Rudauli, SP leader Anil Shukla will welcome him.
On Monday, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Centre and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in the Ram Temple offering theft case. The court sought a status report on the investigation so far from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the UP government and asked it to mention details of the investigating officers.
The court also directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage related to the case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, said the status report would be submitted in a sealed cover. The court made it clear that the report must include complete details about the formation and structure of the SIT. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 20.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Suryakant was hearing four separate petitions in the matter. The petitions seek handing over the investigation to the CBI and the formation of an expert committee to review various issues related to the management of temple donations.
A major revelation has emerged in the Ram Temple offering theft case. One of the keys to all 54 donation boxes of the temple was allegedly kept with accused Tinnu Yadav. According to sources, the donation boxes were opened daily at 12 noon. Trust-appointed counting in-charge Subhash Srivastava used to call Tinnu Yadav.
After this, Tinnu Yadav’s relative Balram Yadav would arrive with the key. Many times, Tinnu himself also brought the key. The second key was kept with an SBI official. The donation boxes were opened only after using both keys.
The cash taken out from the donation boxes was filled into six iron boxes. These boxes were locked separately by the trust and the bank. Bank employees and the counting in-charge signed the seals. The boxes were then taken to the counting room through e-carts.
According to sources, 44 counting staff members counted the notes at different tables inside the counting room. The counting process was carried out in two shifts.
The team of Ram Temple Trust’s interim general secretary Krishna Mohan may take charge after July 22. Discussions are underway on the matter, and a list of the new team is being prepared.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has taken an important step to strengthen its administrative system. The three-member committee formed to appoint the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has finalised the eligibility criteria. Interested candidates can apply till July 18. The upcoming trust meeting is also likely to take a decision on the pending proposal to recruit 100 priests for the temple.
20 years’ experience and Hindu faith mandatory
Candidates applying for the CEO post must be graduates and should have at least 20 years of experience in administration or financial management. Following Hindu faith has also been made a mandatory condition. The appointment will be for three years. The selected officer will receive salary, accommodation and other facilities from the trust and will be fully accountable to the trust.
According to the trust, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has received ₹3,264 crore through the Nidhi Samarpan campaign and corpus donations so far. Of this, ₹2,370 crore has been spent on temple construction and other works.
From the formation of the trust till March 31, 2026, devotees have donated ₹582 crore as offerings. Of this, ₹391 crore has been used for temple operations and other expenses, while the remaining amount is secured in bank accounts.
After the preliminary SIT report, General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility. The trust accepted both resignations and removed Gopal Nagarkatte from the list of special invitees.
The trust said the truth will come out only after the legal investigation is completed. It added that it would not be appropriate to hold anyone guilty before the probe is over.
The trust has a complete record of 2,926 types of gifts offered by devotees. An independent chartered accountant firm verifies these records every year. Devotees can also take an appointment to get details of their donations.
