Ram temple trust meets amid donation theft probe; chairman says 'deeply hurt'

Ayodhya, Jul 6 (PTI) The Ram temple trust met here on Monday to decide on the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra in the wake of allegations of embezzlement of donations.

Discussion were underway and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is likely to accept the resignations, sources said.

The meeting of the Trust started at 3.15 pm at the guest house inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, with seven of the nine permanent members, including Trust chairman Nritya Gopal Das, being present. Rai and Mishra did not attend the meeting, the sources said.

It is likely to review the SIT probe into the alleged donation theft, deliberate on the stepping down of Rai and Mishra, and discuss appointments to key positions in the trust if the resignations are accepted, Trust sources said.

Though speculation was rife that the resignations have been accepted, there was no official word.

In a statement issued on Monday ahead of the meeting, Das said he was "deeply pained" by the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Lalla temple and called for the strictest punishment for those responsible.

Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said every person linked to the alleged offence would be brought to justice and asserted that no one should seek political mileage from an issue connected to the faith of millions of Hindus.

Elaborate security arrangements were put in place, with additional police personnel deployed on roads leading to the Ram temple complex. The venue was shifted from Mani Ram Das Chhawani to the temple complex, citing security reasons.

Access for private vehicles, including those of media personnel, has been restricted near the temple complex.

Union government secretary Prashant Lokhande and Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad were expected to join the meeting virtually, sources said.

Residents and seers in Ayodhya said they were awaiting the outcome of the trust meeting with the hope that those responsible for the alleged theft of temple donations would be brought to justice.

"Everyone in Ayodhya is hurt by this theft in the temple of Lord Ram. Our only wish is that all those behind it must be identified and punished," said Reema Devi, who sells prayer items on the Ram Path.

The Ram Path leading to the temple wore a deserted look under a cloudy sky on Monday, with only small groups of devotees walking towards the shrine as police personnel maintained a strict vigil along the route amid heightened security arrangements.

Meanwhile, sources said a separate closed-door meeting was held at the residence of trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, where several senior leaders of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) were present.

Trust member Krishna Mohan, VHP general secretary Bajrang Bagra and Central Advisory Committee member Dinesh Kumar also attended the deliberations at Vaidehi Bhavan. The participants did not respond to questions from the media.

The VHP on Monday said it will respect whatever decision the Trust takes on the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who belong to the outfit.

The RSS affiliate also said that the ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple should be allowed to reach its conclusion.

Ahead of the temple trust's meeting, Govind Dev Giri declined to comment on the allegations surrounding the alleged embezzlement of temple donations. He said that he would address all queries only after the trust meeting concluded.

"I will not say anything now. I am here for four days. I will see you after the meeting and tell you everything," he told reporters.

Govind Dev Giri had on Sunday said he had no role in the daily collection or counting of offerings at the temple. He asserted that local trustees supervised the process and the trust's audit records were intact.

An SIT constituted on June 13 to probe the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations had submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23, which formed the basis for an FIR and the arrest of eight named people.

Investigators have also recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while taking them out of the temple premises.

While no FIR has been registered against Rai, Mishra, and special invitee Gopal Rao, the Ayodhya lawyers of Faizabad Bar Association have submitted a written police complaint seeking registration of a case against them. PTI