Ram Mandir trust chief Champat Rai resigns amid arrests in donation fraud case: Report

Ram Mandir trust chief Champat Rai resigned on Friday amid an investigation into allegations of theft of donations to the temple, according to CNN-News18.

One of the trustees, Anil Mishra, also resigned from his position.

Rai and Mishra resigned a day after a special investigation team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested eight people in the case. Rai’s driver and close associate, Ramashankar Yadav, alias Tinnu, was among those arrested.

The SIT's investigation stems from allegations that donations to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya were stolen. The SIT, which was set up to look into the allegations earlier this month, registered an FIR in the case on Thursday.

Apart from Tinnu, the others who have been arrested have been identified as Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Ramshankar Mishra, Manish Yadav, Subhash Chandra Srivastava, and Karunesh Pandey.

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While officials have not gone into the specifics, allegations have been levelled that the accused may have siphoned off crores in cash.

Even though Rai and Mishra have now resigned, the trust's initial reaction to the allegations was dismissive. It had dubbed them a plot "to tarnish the image of the Ram temple and hurt the faith of millions of devotees", according to NDTV.

Considering the religious and political significance of the Ram Mandir, the case has become a political issue in Uttar Pradesh. As the state heads to assembly elections next year, the Opposition has sought to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government over the case.

After the SIT made arrests in the case, the Samajwadi Party said its position that a scam was underway at the temple had been vindicated.

"Today, it has been acknowledged that theft took place in the Ram Temple. This is a victory for Ram devotees," SP spokesperson Mohammad Azam said.

For his part, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked political parties not to politicise the case and to let the investigation proceed. He has claimed a zero-tolerance approach to the case.

“The government had stated from day one that the absolute truth would be brought to light. I reiterate: do not put the devotees of Ram to the test, do not trifle with their faith; if you have proof, present the evidence to the SIT,” said Adityanath.