LUCKNOW: The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations gathered pace on Monday as the Ayodhya Police recorded the statement of Champat Rai, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary who has now resigned.Police officials confirmed the development, saying statements of several Trust functionaries and other persons associated with the temple’s donation management system were being recorded to piece together the sequence of events and verify the standard operating procedures followed in handling the offerings.According to sources familiar with the investigation, a police team led by a deputy superintendent of police (DySP)-rank officer questioned Rai for more than two hours.
Investigators reportedly sought detailed information on the entire donation management process – from the receipt of cash and valuables offered by devotees, their counting and safe custody, to their eventual deposit in designated bank accounts.Sources said the questioning was aimed at understanding the institutional mechanism governing temple donations, identifying the responsibilities of various officials at different stages of the process, and examining whether any procedural lapses may have created opportunities for the alleged embezzlement.This is the first time Rai’s statement has been recorded since he stepped down as the trust’s general secretary on June 27 and the police registered an FIR in the alleged donation theft case.Investigators are corroborating his statement with financial records, bank documents, CCTV footage, electronic evidence and other material collected during the course of the investigation. Anil Mishra, a member of the trust, also resigned along with Rai.Sources said the police are expected to record the statement of Mishra next, while statements of several other individuals associated with the trust have already been taken or are currently being recorded. The exercise forms part of the investigators’ effort to reconstruct the movement of donations and establish accountability at every stage of the handling process.The probe has gathered momentum over the past few days, with investigators examining financial transactions, documentary evidence and witness testimonies to determine the alleged conspiracy and trace the movement of funds linked to the case.Who is Champat Rai?Champat Rai (79), a former chemistry teacher at ASM Degree College in Bijnor district, was actively involved with the Ram temple movement as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).He resigned from academics after spending one and half years in various jails during the Ram Temple agitation and went on to dedicate his time to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).He climbed the ranks in the VHP over the years and is now its vice-president. When the central govt formed the trust according to the Supreme Court’s order, Rai was made its general secy in 2020. Although the trust is headed by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das of Maniram Chhavni, it’s Rai who has been calling the shots at the temple right since its construction started on Aug 5, 2020.