Ayodhya Lawyers Seek FIR Against Champat Rai In Ram Temple Donation Theft Case, Warn Of Protest

The Ram Temple donation theft case is set to take a fresh legal turn on Thursday, with lawyers in Ayodhya preparing to file a complaint against Champat Rai, the former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, demanding registration of an FIR over the alleged irregularities. The move comes amid an expanding Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and ahead of a crucial trust meeting where Rai’s future is expected to come under scrutiny.

The Faizabad Bar Association has decided to submit the complaint at the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station. Besides Champat Rai, the complaint will also name trust member Dr Anil Mishra and special invitee member Dr Gopal Rai. Lawyers are scheduled to march from the court premises to the police

station at 11am to seek registration of a criminal case.

The bar association has warned that if police decline to register an FIR, it will approach the court seeking directions. It has also threatened to launch an agitation if no action is taken against the named individuals.

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The development comes as the SIT investigating the alleged theft from the Ram Temple donation counting centre has been granted an additional 15 days to complete its probe. Investigators are examining multiple aspects of the case, including the role of an outsourcing agency that allegedly handled personnel involved in the donation counting process despite an MoU between the trust and the State Bank of India (SBI) governing the counting mechanism.

Investigators are also examining whether employees deployed through the outsourcing agency had undergone mandatory police verification and other background checks.

Sources said police are assessing the movable and immovable assets of the accused, as any financial losses suffered by the Ram Temple Trust could potentially be recovered from their properties if the allegations are established.

The controversy is also expected to dominate the trust’s meeting scheduled for July 6, where members are likely to discuss the future of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra. Sources said a two-thirds majority of the trust’s 12 members would be required for any decision to remove them. There is also speculation that senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders, including Dinesh Chandra and Bajrang Lal Bangra, could attend the meeting as special invitees.

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Meanwhile, investigators have introduced fresh security measures to prevent any recurrence of the alleged theft. Physical frisking of staff engaged in donation counting has now been made mandatory at both entry and exit points, a safeguard that was reportedly absent earlier.

Police are also seeking another 48 hours of custody of the alleged kingpin, Avinash Shukla, with the court expected to decide on the request later on Thursday.

According to investigators, Shukla allegedly told police during questioning that stolen cash was temporarily hidden inside washrooms within the temple complex before being smuggled out in small quantities to avoid suspicion.

The SIT has also uncovered details of the alleged modus operandi. Investigators claim members of the racket had carefully studied the layout of the donation counting centre, including CCTV camera locations, entry and exit routes and staff movement. One accused allegedly removed cash from counted donations while others formed a human shield around him, blocking the cameras’ view and exploiting CCTV blind spots to conceal the theft.

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Investigators further allege that one of the two keys to the highly secured donation counting room remained with co-accused Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, despite him having no role in the counting process. The second key was reportedly held by SBI officials supervising the counting. The largest recovery of allegedly stolen cash so far has been made from Avinash Shukla.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police continuing to probe the alleged conspiracy, security lapses and accountability within the donation counting system.