Trust Meeting Called in Ayodhya as Row Over Donation Theft Deepens

Champat Rai & Dr. Anil Mishra Expected to Resign in Crucial Reshuffle Today

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to hold a crucial meeting at 3:00 PM today (July 6) amid a growing controversy surrounding the alleged theft of temple donations. Top on the agenda is the consideration of resignations from Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Dr. Anil Mishra, both of whom are understood to have stepped down on moral grounds following the row.

The high-stakes meeting will also see the presentation and review of an interim report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is currently probing irregularities in the counting and handling of money received through the temple’s donation boxes.

Key Agenda Items for the Meeting:

• Review of Resignations: Formal consideration of the resignations tendered by Champat Rai and Dr. Anil Mishra.
• SIT Briefing: Presentation and evaluation of the SIT’s interim report on donation discrepancies.
• Structural Overhaul: Discussion on future arrangements for temple management and potential major changes to the Trust’s operational framework.
• Filling Vacancies: Consideration of new names for appointments to positions that may fall vacant following the exit of top officials.

The meeting will be attended by permanent members both in person and via video conferencing.

Power Dynamics and Voting Rights Within the Trust

Formed in February 2020 following the landmark Supreme Court verdict, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust operates as an independent entity, free from the administrative control of both the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments.

While representatives from the central and state governments sit on the board as ex-officio members, they lack voting or decision-making powers. Currently, the Trust consists of 14 active members (out of 15 seats, following the recent passing of Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra).

Ultimate control rests solely with the permanent trustees, who hold exclusive voting rights. Currently, the list of voting permanent trustees includes:

• Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (President)
• Govind Giri Maharaj (Treasurer; spiritual guru from Pune)
• Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati (Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peetha)
• Swami Vishwaprasannatirtha Ji Maharaj (Head of Pejawar Math, Karnataka)
• Yugpurusha Paramananda Giri Maharaj (Spiritual saint from Haridwar)
• Mahant Dinendra Das (Senior saint of the Nirmohi Akhara)
• Krishna Mohan (RSS worker, who replaced the late Kameshwar Chaupal)
• K Parasaran (Senior Supreme Court lawyer)
• Nripendra Mishra (Former IAS officer and Chairman of the Construction Committee)

Administrative Impact: Prior to today’s meeting, administrative powers—including the authority to issue crucial VIP and aarti passes—were concentrated in the hands of Champat Rai, Dr. Anil Mishra, and invited member Gopal Nagarkatte (Rao), who has overseen temple construction since January 2021. Because invited members do not possess voting or administrative powers, the expected exits of Rai and Mishra will necessitate a major restructuring of daily operations.

Any resolution to induct a new permanent member or enact sweeping organizational changes will require a majority vote from the existing permanent trustees during today’s session.