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Ram Mandir Donation Row Takes New Turn: Champat Rai’s Resignation Letter Reveals Rs 81 Lakh Recovery
Sanjeev Kumar | July 29, 2026 2:21 PM CST

Ayodhya: The Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft case has taken a new turn after a resignation letter by former temple trust officials revealed that Rs 81 lakh was recovered from individuals accused of stealing donation funds, sources told Times Now.

Notably, former general secretary of the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Terth Kshetra Trust Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra submitted their resignations on June 27. The two also stated in the resignation letter that after the matter came into the public domain, the trust itself requested the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the entire episode. According to the resignation letter, reports regarding irregularities in the counting of  began appearing in the media continuously from June 8, creating confusion and dissatisfaction among devotees. The letter further added that on the night of June 4, a trustee was informed about the alleged theft by some youths during the counting of donation box money. Following this, CCTV footage was examined on the morning of June 5, which helped identify some suspects. As per the letter, instead of immediately filing an FIR with the police, the individuals concerned were questioned at that stage. It claimed that between the night of June 5 and June 8, the accused youths and their family members returned Rs 81 lakh to the Trust and also submitted written statements admitting their involvement in the theft. On July 19, the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the alleged theft of donation funds at  , submitted its status report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court. On Monday, the top court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor as the fifth member of the SIT, which will submit its first status report within two weeks. The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the state government. He submitted that the SIT was formed through a notification issued on 25th of this month following the apex court's suggestion. During the hearing, Mehta also informed the Supreme Court that SIT will also include a DIG-rank officer, a senior Superintendent of Police and an additional SP. Earlier, the apex court observed that the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft issue should not be politicised. On July 6, the Trust hel an emergency meeting for the firsttime after the alleged embezzlement of donations came to light. During that meeting, the Trust constituted a special committee to recommend amendments to the Trust deed and framed guidelines for the custody, valuation and disposal of offerings made by devotees. The meeting was initially scheduled to be held at Maniram Chawni but was later shifted to the Ram temple complex.


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