The controversy over an alleged embezzlement of donation money at Ayodhya's Ram temple refuses to die down, and in the middle of that storm the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has called a crucial meeting in Ayodhya at 3 pm on July 6. This quarterly meeting, held once every three months, is being seen as unusually serious this time because it will not only take up a detailed review of the donation theft case but could also produce a major decision on the current status, and possible resignations, of trust general secretary Champat Rai and trust member Dr Anil Mishra. Ahead of the meeting, trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders and well known seers have already reached Ayodhya, even as the police investigation keeps throwing up fresh and startling revelations.
Trust's Quarterly Meeting to Decide Champat Rai and Anil Mishra's Fate
Gopal Rao, an assistant with the temple administration, has himself confirmed that this quarterly trust meeting will be held at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex at 3 pm on July 6. He said all concerned trust members and office bearers have already been sent advance notice of the meeting, and that everyone is expected to be present on time once summoned. The meeting will carry out a detailed review of the donation theft case and will also involve serious deliberation on the questions being raised around Champat Rai and Dr Anil Mishra. In this connection, trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has already reached Ayodhya to attend the meeting. Gopal Rao welcomed him on arrival, though Rao himself avoided questions from the media and left the spot without responding. Given the recent controversies and developments, the meeting is expected to take several major and possibly historic administrative decisions, aimed at further tightening security around Ram Lalla's treasury going forward.
Venue Shifted for Security Reasons, Members to Gather at Vaidehi Pushp Vatika
The venue of the meeting itself has been changed on security grounds. It was originally proposed to be held at Maniramdas Chhawni, but the decision has now been taken to hold it instead at Vaidehi Pushp Vatika, the guest house located within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. Gopal Rao, a special invitee member of the trust, shared this information and appealed to all Teerth Kshetra Trust members to reach Vaidehi Pushp Vatika. Keeping security in mind, trust members have also decided to keep their distance from the media, meaning journalists will not be allowed inside the complex during the meeting.
Senior VHP Office Bearers and Seers Reach Ayodhya Ahead of the Meeting
Activity in Ayodhya has picked up a day ahead of the meeting. Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad office bearers Bajrang Lal Bangarwa and Koteshwar ji arrived in Ayodhya today. Given the temple's construction, its donations and administrative arrangements alongside the recent developments, this trust meeting is being seen as extremely important, which is why the arrival of these senior VHP figures just ahead of the meeting is being read as a significant signal, with all eyes now on the decisions expected tomorrow. Along similar lines, Shankaracharya Vasudevanand Saraswati has also arrived in Ayodhya, after which security arrangements have been tightened further. He has been put up at the guest house of Maharishi Ved Vidyalaya, where a large number of security personnel have been deployed. Yug Purush Paramanand Maharaj arrived in Ayodhya later, following which the security cordon around both seers' residences and the surrounding area was strengthened even more. Security agencies are keeping watch on every movement and additional police forces have been deployed. No media representative is being allowed anywhere near where the two seers are staying, and anyone entering or leaving the premises is being thoroughly checked. The administration says this precaution is being taken given the sensitivity of the case, though detailed information about the full schedule of both seers' visits has not yet been made public.
Trust Puts an End to Rumours of the Golden Ramayana Going Missing
Meanwhile, rumours had spread rapidly on social media that a gold Ramayana had gone missing from the Ram temple, but this has now been firmly put to rest. A former IPS officer had, in fact, offered this special golden Ramayana at Ram Lalla's court using his life's entire savings, and misleading reports about that very Ramayana being stolen or missing had become a talking point in recent days. Rejecting all of these baseless claims, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust officially released a photograph of the Ramayana, making it clear that this symbol of faith for crores of Ram devotees remains completely safe and installed within the Ram temple itself.
Five Accused Grilled for Six and a Half Hours, Mobile Chats Yield Fresh Clues
Ayodhya police continue to dig up new facts in the investigation into the donation embezzlement case. On Monday, the investigating officer reached the Ram Janmabhoomi jail premises around 11:30 am, where the five accused in custody were subjected to a long interrogation lasting nearly six hours and thirty minutes. During the questioning, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Yadav alias Teenu, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey were questioned both separately and face to face with one another. According to sources, several important clues have emerged from the questioning, while contradictions have also been noticed in various places across the accused's statements. The investigation has also found that a person from the Ramkot area was allegedly used to move donation money out of the temple complex, and police are now probing his role in depth. It has emerged that this individual from Ramkot was allegedly got appointed within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex by Ramashankar Yadav alias Teenu himself. Police are now trying to establish whether his role was limited to that of an ordinary employee or whether he was also part of the alleged embezzlement network. For now, the police are cross checking the facts gathered from the interrogation against the accused's statements and other evidence, and officials believe more major revelations could surface soon.
Probe Reaches Avinash Shukla's Bank Accounts and a Brezza Car
Chats and digital records recovered from the accused's mobile phones during the investigation have also given it a new direction. It has emerged in this connection that accused Avinash Shukla transferred lakhs of rupees into the bank account of a woman friend, and police have found important evidence linked to these transactions. Reports indicate that Avinash Shukla's marriage to this woman friend had already been fixed, and that he had also gifted her an expensive mobile phone. Police are now working to establish where the money used in these transactions came from and what its actual source was. Sources indicate it has also emerged that Avinash Shukla allegedly used the stolen donation money to buy a Brezza car, which is reported to be registered in the name of his brother, Abhishek Shukla. Police are now closely examining bank accounts, vehicle purchase documents and digital transactions, and officials believe these financial records could further clarify the picture of the entire network and how the money was used. However, none of this information has yet been officially confirmed by the police.
May 2025 Chats Reveal a Dispute Over How the Money Was Split
Combing through the accused's mobile chats and backups has turned up several pieces of evidence that appear to peel back layers of the alleged embezzlement network. According to sources, the chats reveal that the accused had exchanged messages about transactions worth crores of rupees in May 2025, during which a dispute also broke out among them over how the donation money should be split. The investigation found that Avinash Shukla had taken on the responsibility of calming this dispute among the accused and maintaining coordination between them, although a separate war of words later broke out between Avinash Shukla and Anukalp, again over the division of money. The interrogation and digital investigation also revealed that the alleged theft of money took place during the very process of counting the donations at the Ram temple complex, after which the amount would be tallied and divided among themselves. Officials believe that these digital records recovered from mobile phones could lead to several more major revelations, and that further legal action will be based on this evidence.
Viral Letter in Treasurer Govind Dev Giri's Name, and What It Claims
In the meantime, a letter attributed to trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has gone viral rapidly on social media, in which he expresses sorrow, pain and embarrassment over the alleged irregularity in the donation amount and demands a fair investigation. The letter also claims that the trust's complete income and expenditure accounts remain intact, that he has never drawn any expenses from the trust, and that he has no direct connection with the process of counting the donation money. However, the authenticity of this viral letter has not been independently confirmed so far.
Sant Samaj Rallies Behind Champat Rai, Says No One Should Be Blamed Before the Probe Concludes
Amid the entire controversy, the Sant Samaj has openly come out in support of Champat Rai. Addressing a press conference in Ayodhya, the seers said that no one should be declared guilty until the SIT investigation is complete, though whoever turns out to be guilty will not be spared. The Sant Samaj also said that targeting Champat Rai alone is wrong. At this meeting of seers held at Ram Kachahri, support for Champat Rai was openly announced, and it was said that anyone holding evidence should hand it over to the SIT rather than needlessly tarnishing anyone's image. Jagadguru Paramhans said that Champat Rai is innocent and that everyone should wait for the investigation to conclude. The Sant Samaj also appealed that rumours should not be allowed to damage the dignity of Sanatan Dharma, and once again reiterated its demand for a fair investigation.
Former Home Secretary Lakshmi Narayan's Allegations, Questions Over Champat Rai's Answers
Former Home Secretary Lakshmi Narayan, presenting his side, said that he and his family had dedicated jewellery to Lord Shri Ram, given the deep faith his family and relatives hold in the deity. He said he had offered this jewellery only in front of Champat Rai, and that during their first meeting, Champat Rai had spoken to him very cordially. According to Lakshmi Narayan, the story kept changing regarding the installation of the Ramcharitmanas, he learned of this only in December, and he has not received any receipt to date. He alleged that Champat Rai gave evasive answers when asked about installing the Ramcharitmanas. Lakshmi Narayan recounted that Champat Rai had told him, I cannot dispel everything, only my word will run here, do not keep getting others to say things repeatedly on your behalf. Lakshmi Narayan further said he later learned that his offering had been kept in a guard room.
Brij Bhushan Singh Says He Had Flagged Concerns for Five Years
Former MP Brij Bhushan Singh has also reacted to the entire controversy surrounding the Ram temple. He said he had already voiced his suspicions about the donation theft earlier and that he knows everything about the matter. According to Brij Bhushan Singh, he has been raising questions about this continuously for the past five years and has been saying from the very start that things were not right here. He said that since an investigation is currently underway, he does not have the standing to comment on the issue right now, and that he will speak only once the probe is complete, on whether it was conducted properly, adding that it is not appropriate for him to say anything on it at this stage.
Congress Leader Sukhdev Bhagat Takes Aim at the BJP
Around the same time, Congress leader Sukhdev Bhagat made a strong statement on the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute. He said, Ever since the BJP government came to power, it has only been looking at issues that can be used for polarisation and to secure the Hindu vote. There are so many important issues in the country, be it consumer issues or ethanol. The government brings up such subjects to divert attention from these real issues, this is a laughable subject.
Investigating Officer Ashutosh Tiwari Returns to the District Jail
Pushing the investigation forward, case investigating officer Ashutosh Tiwari once again reached the district jail, where all five accused are to be questioned. Ashutosh Tiwari had earlier questioned Avinash Shukla, during which several major revelations had come to light.
VHP's Six-Monthly Review Meeting Will Not Be Held in Ayodhya This Time
Sources linked to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad say the organisation also holds a separate review meeting every six months, and that after the investigation into the donation theft case began, it was decided this particular meeting would not be held in Ayodhya this time, so that the probe is not affected in any way. This meeting will bring together the heads of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Durga Shakti, Gau Raksha, Bajrang Dal, Durga Vahini, Matrishakti, Dharma Prasar, Seva, Samrasata and Sant Parishad. The Ram temple donation theft case is likely to come up for discussion at this meeting as well, alongside a review of the past six months' programmes and activities, and a detailed discussion on the challenges facing the country, religion and society.
Shiv Sena UBT Voices Strong Protest
The Shiv Sena UBT faction has also reacted sharply to the entire episode. Party spokesperson Anand Dubey said that after a long struggle spanning 500 years, the country finally got a grand temple for Lord Ram Lalla, creating a festive mood across the nation similar to Holi and Diwali, but that it causes deep anguish to learn that certain miscreants have entered the biggest centre of the country's faith to commit theft. He said all Shiv Sainiks have united to protest this incident and are strongly condemning it.
