Ram temple donation row: 'What transpired is confidential', says police after questioning Champat Rai

Ayodhya police have recorded the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's former general secretary Champat Rai as part of the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, days after he offered to resign taking "moral responsibility" for the controversy, officials said.

A police official confirmed to PTI that Rai's statement had been recorded but declined to disclose when, where or for how long the questioning lasted. "Yes, his statements have been recorded," the official said.

Also read: Ram Temple Donation Theft Case: 15-day extension to SIT


While the official refused to elaborate, sources said Ayodhya Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari, who is heading the investigation, visited Rai's Bharat Kuti residence at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya to record his statement. According to the sources, police sought details and documents relating to the alleged donation theft from Rai, who is believed to have become aware of the suspected fraud before it snowballed into a major political controversy.

Asked about media reports claiming Rai admitted that not lodging an FIR immediately after learning about the alleged theft was a mistake, another police official told PTI, "Sorry, can't say anything on that. What transpired is confidential and can't be shared."

Sources acknowledged that the Trust had become aware of the alleged donation theft before June 7, when the issue first entered the public domain. Some supporters of Rai, speaking on condition of anonymity, told PTI that he was "clean" and had acted promptly after learning about the alleged fraud. However, they were unable to explain why the FIR against the accused was lodged only on June 25, several days after a viral video circulated on June 5 purportedly showed the recovery of a bag allegedly containing stolen donation money from the residence of accused Avinash Shukla.

Repeated calls made by PTI to Rai for his comments on the developments went unanswered.

What is the Ram Mandir donation row?

The controversy first erupted on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. Rai had then rejected the allegations, saying that "nothing noteworthy" had emerged during an internal audit of the donation management system.

Also read: Ram temple donation case: Security agency denies role, says recruited SBI staff on bank's request

Subsequently, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13. Based on preliminary findings submitted on June 23, an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight persons associated with the temple's donation-counting process were arrested. Police have said nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash, besides some foreign currency, has been recovered from six of the accused so far.

Rai and trustee Anil Mishra had earlier resigned, taking moral responsibility for the controversy. Police have since recorded Rai's statement, while statements of other senior Trust office-bearers, including Mishra, may be recorded if required during the course of the investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)