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SIT report raises questions over Champat Rai’s oversight (Img-Pinterest)
Ayodhya: Champat Rai’s role as a senior functionary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has come under sharp scrutiny after a Special Investigation Team report reportedly raised serious questions about alleged lapses in monitoring the donation-counting process at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Rai resigned from the post of General Secretary of the Trust on Friday after arrests were made in connection with the alleged donation theft case. Some of the arrested accused are said to be close to senior Trust-linked officials, sources claimed.
According to sources, the SIT examined CCTV footage recorded between April 27 and June 5 and found that employees involved in counting temple donations were allegedly seen stealing cash on nearly 70 occasions over a period of around 40 days. The report is also said to have noted that several people engaged in the donation-counting process were appointed on the recommendation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra.
Sources further claimed that the report questions the manner in which certain individuals were brought into the system without proper background verification.
According to sources, the SIT report does not accuse Champat Rai of directly handling surveillance or donation-counting operations. However, it reportedly questions his administrative oversight and the decision to delegate sensitive responsibilities to others.
The report allegedly states that complaints related to suspected theft had reached senior officials earlier, but no timely police complaint was filed despite previous instances of cash recovery. Investigators are also said to have questioned why individuals allegedly close to senior Trust-linked figures continued to remain involved in the donation-counting process.
Out of the eight people arrested in the case, only Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastava were reportedly employees of the Ram Mandir Trust. The remaining accused were said to be linked to the State Bank of India’s donation-counting arrangement.
Sources also claimed that questions have been raised regarding the alleged increase in Anil Mishra’s assets after he became a trustee, though no official finding has yet been announced on this aspect.
One of the key names in the investigation is Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu Yadav. According to sources, the SIT report describes him as a central figure in the alleged theft network.
Tinnu Yadav allegedly had access to keys of donation boxes and exercised significant influence over administrative activities inside the temple premises. Sources said he was allegedly involved in deciding who would be engaged for temple work, who would be assigned to donation counting, and even where police personnel would be deployed.
Another accused, Ramashankar Mishra, was allegedly brought in on Tinnu Yadav’s recommendation. He was initially assigned to the facilitation centre but later became involved in donation counting. CCTV footage reportedly showed him pocketing cash on several occasions.
The SIT report reportedly states that the accused were aware of the locations of CCTV cameras inside the donation-counting room, including the blind spots. Investigators claimed that the cameras were sometimes switched off or deliberately blocked while cash was being stolen.
However, the accused were allegedly unaware that a hidden surveillance camera had also been installed inside the room. Sources said footage from this concealed camera became a crucial piece of evidence in exposing the alleged theft.
The allegations mentioned in the SIT report are yet to be tested in court. At the time of writing, there has been no official response from Champat Rai or Anil Mishra regarding the claims.
