A troubling episode has unfolded inside the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after theft was discovered in the donation money collected at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. At a crucial meeting held on Monday, the trust accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra, meaning neither of them will now oversee any work related to the Ram Mandir. Amid the controversy, trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri spoke out and said plainly that the theft happened because the Standard Operating Procedure, or SoP, was not followed strictly.
Whose Job Was It to Watch the Donation Box
Govind Dev Giri clarified his own role, saying that as treasurer his duty is to safeguard the money deposited in the trust's coffers and to track its income and expenditure, not to keep watch over the daily donations coming in. He said the responsibility for monitoring the donations rested with the people living inside the temple premises, and that the main accountability for this task lay with Anil Mishra. He also clarified that Gopal Rao was neither part of the trust nor a trustee. According to him, the responsibility for appointing staff belonged to the State Bank of India, or SBI, and the trust had left everything to SBI's judgement. He said it was SBI's laxity that allowed the theft to happen, because nobody ever flagged the shortfall in donations to him. Had he been informed in time, he said, he would have acted immediately, but he does not personally check the accounts every day or every month, and the trust simply trusted its colleagues.
Faith in Champat Rai Remains, but Oversight Failed
Govind Dev Giri also laid out the trust's finances. He said 2,370 crore rupees have been spent so far out of a total of 3,264 crore rupees that came in, and as of 30 June, 1,800 crore rupees remain with the trust. This year alone, the trust bought land worth 20 crore 16 lakh 7 thousand 50 rupees. Despite the theft, he said the trust still has full faith in Champat Rai and that Champat Rai did not embezzle any money. His only lapse, Govind Dev Giri said, was that he failed to monitor the process, and the people he trusted went on to commit the theft. He described it as a result of excessive reliance on others, saying that very tendency is what led to Champat Rai's mistakes.
Trust in SBI's Name, Questions for IAS Officers Too
The treasurer said the SoP was never even discussed within the trust. The trust was told that SBI was overseeing the entire operation, and it was simply SBI's name and reputation that made everyone trust the arrangement without question. He suspected that Anil Mishra's appointment may have come on his own recommendation, and said that if SBI acted on Anil Mishra's recommendation without verifying it, then SBI was at fault. He further pointed to the four IAS officers who serve as trustees, saying they too should have looked into the matter and that laxity was shown on their part as well. He reminded that IAS officers were brought onto the trust specifically to maintain financial discipline, so it was their job to alert the trust about any irregularity. According to him, the IAS officers on the trust cannot escape their share of responsibility.
Champat Rai's Reputation Remains Untarnished
Govind Dev Giri came out strongly in defence of Champat Rai's character. He said Champat Rai is now free of both his trust role and his trustee post and will not play any part going forward, though he is still in Ayodhya. He described Champat Rai as a pure, truth seeking and unblemished man whom he has known for 32 years, adding that Champat Rai worked all along as a dedicated pracharak whose sacrifice and dedication cannot be understated. He said he holds Champat Rai in great respect and has no doubt about his decency, even though a decent person can sometimes make a mistake.
New Appointments and the Road Ahead
The treasurer said the trust will work to restore the faith people once had in it, and that it will discuss fresh appointments with three individuals, retired Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturved, and industrialist Suresh Haware, who also heads the Shirdi Sai Sansthan. Whoever these three recommend will be the ones appointed. Govind Dev Giri added that Champat Rai himself is a saint, and it was precisely because of this that the lapse occurred, since saints and monks are more inclined toward devotional singing than administrative oversight. He said he has full faith in the SIT investigation and accused the opposition of trying to divide Hindu society. He pointedly asked how those who once fired on kar sevaks can now claim to be devotees of Ram, and urged people not to believe rumours. He closed by saying the trust remains committed to bringing about Ram Rajya.
