Ayodhya Ram temple donation probe widens, Champat Rai questioned

Ayodhya,UPDATED: Jun 30, 2026 23:54 IST

Ayodhya police have widened their probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, recording the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and examining the role of private security personnel deployed at the complex. The developments came as the trust prepared for a key meeting next week to decide on the resignations of Rai and another senior functionary, Anil Mishra.

The case also sparked a fresh political confrontation in Uttar Pradesh. A Congress delegation led by state unit chief Ajay Rai was stopped from visiting the temple in Ayodhya, with the party alleging its leaders were put under "house arrest". Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of hypocrisy, saying those who once questioned Lord Ram were now keen to visit Ayodhya.

A police official confirmed to PTI that Champat Rai's statement had been recorded as part of the investigation into the alleged donation embezzlement. "Yes, his statements have been recorded," the official said, declining to say when, where or for how long the questioning lasted.

Sources said Ayodhya Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari, who is heading the probe, went to Rai's Bharat Kuti residence at Karsevakpuram and sought details and documents related to the alleged theft. Asked about reports that Rai had admitted delaying the registration of an FIR was a mistake, another police official said, "Sorry, (we) can't say anything on that. What transpired is confidential and can't be shared."

Police also questioned accused Avinash Shukla inside the district jail after obtaining court permission, sources said. They added that the trust had recovered Rs 20 lakh from Shukla on June 5. The investigation has also expanded to look at the role of around 400 private security personnel at the temple complex. According to sources, police are checking duty rosters, CCTV footage, entry and exit records, and statements of guards posted at entry and exit points, darshan routes, and the routes used to carry offerings, to find out whether laid-down security procedures were followed.

The controversy began on June 7 after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged embezzlement of temple donations, a charge dismissed at the time by Champat Rai. A Special Investigation Team set up by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 reportedly found widespread violations of standard operating procedures for handling donations.

Based on its preliminary findings, an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight people linked to the donation-counting process were arrested. Police have said nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash and some foreign currency were recovered from six of the accused.

One of those arrested, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, is a former driver of Champat Rai and, according to the SIT, had keys to several donation boxes in violation of prescribed procedures. Opposition parties and the Faizabad Bar Association have demanded legal action against Rai and Mishra, though neither has been named in the FIR. Repeated calls made by PTI to Rai for comment went unanswered.

Meanwhile, the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Adityanath and the BJP-RSS machinery of protecting those involved in the alleged embezzlement, and demanded that the SIT report be made public. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called it "utterly condemnable" that Congress leaders going to offer prayers at the Ram temple were put "under house arrest in a dictatorial manner".

Ajay Rai said he would not leave Ayodhya until he was allowed to pray. "What kind of government is this that is scared of our visiting the Ram temple? I think they have arrested me. Why would they bring me to this guesthouse in the middle of the night and keep me confined here?" he told PTI over the phone.

According to the Congress, MPs Kishori Lal Sharma, Rakesh Rathor, Ujjwal Raman Singh and Tanuj Punia, along with former MLC Deepak Singh, were part of the nine-member delegation. Ajay Rai alleged that members travelling separately were either stopped on the way, confined to their homes or detained by police.

Amethi MP Sharma said, "They could not stop the donation theft, but they have stopped us Hindus from offering prayers at the temple. What kind of sanatan tradition is this that prevents people from having darshan?" Later, he alleged that police forcibly took him to Ayodhya airport without allowing him to visit the temple. "The police and the administration forcibly brought me to the airport. They did not allow me to pay obeisance. If they stop me today, I will come tomorrow," he told reporters.

Police sources said around two dozen Congress workers, including youth wing leader Sharad Shukla and former Rajya Sabha MP Aliya Zubairi, were detained during a protest outside Acharya Narendra Dev University, where Rai was staying under police watch. Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh was also stopped from leaving his Prayagraj residence, according to his aide.

At a public meeting in Rampur, Adityanath accused the Congress and the SP of trying to use the controversy for political gain. "Who is advocating devotion to Lord Ram today? The very people who before 2017 ordered lathi-charges on those raising the slogan 'Jai Shri Ram'. When Ram devotees proclaimed 'Ram Lalla Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahin Banayenge', they were met with bullets. Today, the same people are speaking in the name of faith," he said. The chief minister said those who had once questioned Lord Ram's existence were now eager to visit Ayodhya and compared the opposition to the Ramayana character Kalanemi for "deceit and trickery". "Today, even they (opposition) say that Ram belongs to everyone... But Lord Ram knows who is right and who is wrong," he said.

Amid the deepening row, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is expected to meet in Ayodhya on July 6 to discuss its next steps. Sources said the meeting would consider the resignations of Champat Rai and trust member Anil Mishra, with a "high" possibility that both may be accepted.

The trust is also expected to discuss changes to its management structure and a proposal to appoint a chief executive officer, which would require amendments to its bylaws. The police probe, political confrontation and the trust's internal decisions have now become the main strands of the controversy over the alleged donation embezzlement.

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