- 16 minutes ago
An investigation into the Ram Temple donation diversion case is intensifying following the registration of a First Information Report. Eight individuals, including counting staffers and a driver, have been arrested for allegedly siphoning cash and valuables donated by devotees.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:03Just 12 hours after an FIR was registered in the alleged Ram Temple donation diversion case,
00:10the man at the center of the trust's day-to-day functioning has stepped down.
00:15Champath Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Temple Trust, resigned,
00:19taking what he described as moral responsibility.
00:23He has not been named in the FIR so far.
00:26Yet his resignation has placed the spotlight firmly on the question of institutional oversight.
00:34The criminal investigation, meanwhile, is gathering pace.
00:37Eight arrests have been made already and investigators are tracing the money trail
00:42to establish how devotees' offerings were allegedly diverted
00:47at different stages of collection, counting and accounting.
00:50The larger question tonight is, when the investigation is criminal in nature,
00:55is moral responsibility enough?
00:58Or must accountability also extend to those responsible for the systems
01:03and the supervision of the trust's day-to-day functioning?
01:07First up, the report.
01:35A temple built on faith of millions.
01:38A temple built on faith of millions.
01:41sustain the offerings of countless devotees.
01:47But when those offerings are siphoned off through the very system meant to protect them,
01:53when gold, silver and cash worth crores are diverted,
01:57it is not just about missing money.
02:00It's a betrayal of Bhakti.
02:03The criminal investigation into the alleged Ram Temple donation scam has widened in scope.
02:10Eight people have been arrested, an FIR has been registered,
02:13and investigators are now following the money trail
02:16to uncover how devotees' offerings allegedly disappeared
02:20from one of the country's most sacred shrines.
02:24Champatrai, the general secretary of the Temple Trust,
02:27and trustee Anil Mishra have reportedly stepped down in the name of moral responsibility.
02:33Champatrai has not been named as an accused in the FIR.
02:38But his administrative role at the Temple has brought intense focus
02:42on whether a mere resignation based on ethical grounds is enough.
02:47As general secretary, he managed the Temple's day-to-day operations,
02:51oversaw donation management and audits,
02:55maintained records and coordinated pilgrim activities.
02:58He was one of the most trusted custodians of Ramlalla's records.
03:02Adding to the scrutiny is the fact that one of the principal accused,
03:06Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu, is his driver.
03:11Apart from Tinnu, the arrested accused include
03:14Lovkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla,
03:18Manish Yadav, Ram Shankar Mishra,
03:21Subhash Chandra Srivastav and Karunesh Pandey.
03:25According to investigators, the accused were entrusted with counting the cash
03:29and valuables donated by devotees.
03:32They have been booked under charges of theft, criminal breach of trust,
03:36cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita.
03:42Just weeks ago, allegations surfaced that donations worth nearly 25 to 27.5 crore rupees
03:50had been stolen.
03:51On June 8th, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav urged the court
03:55to take suomoto cognizance of the allegations.
03:59The next day, BJP leader Rajneesh Singh demanded a probe by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
04:05The Temple Construction Committee chief then reviewed donation records
04:09and the Prime Minister's office sought a report from the Temple Trust regarding the allegations.
04:14On June 11th, the former account in charge raised fresh allegations
04:19linked to CCTV from the donation handling process.
04:23The Uttar Pradesh government then constituted a three-member special investigation team
04:28which questioned over 100 employees linked to donation handling
04:32and examined records in detail.
04:35The SIT also interrogated staff involved in counting donations
04:39and then submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23rd,
04:44based on which police fired FIR and arrested all eight accused.
04:50The investigation is now likely to move into the criminal prosecution stage,
04:55with police examining financial records,
04:58questioning the accused and tracing the alleged diversion of funds.
05:12At its core, the investigation is no longer just about missing funds.
05:17It is about accountability that extends beyond moral responsibility.
05:23It is the question of whether the system failed in its duty to safeguard the faith of millions.
05:31Bureau report, India Today.
05:38Joining me live on the show is Dr. Rajneesh Singh, BJP leader,
05:42who in fact wrote to the Prime Minister's office.
05:45Rajneesh Ji, you can see the investigation of the entire investigation?
05:48Because there are many questions, what is the state of the chumpat rai?
05:51What is the state of the chumpat rai?
06:21foreign
06:34foreign
06:51It was the case of Champat Rai and Anil Misra, and we got out of the work.
06:56It was also the interview in the public domain.
06:5915 years ago, it was the interview.
07:01So, it was the case of these claims.
07:04So, somewhere else, if someone has a problem with a problem,
07:07if there is a problem with a problem,
07:11it is a problem with a problem with a problem with a problem with a problem.
07:13Now, tell us about your name.
07:15When was your name in Champat Rai's role in the role of Champat Rai?
07:22I wrote two letters. I wrote one letter in the 9th of June,
07:27that the Prime Minister said that the Prime Minister
07:30has been getting news from all the people's minds
07:35that there was a lot of information in the Raam Mandir.
07:38Because the Raam Mandir is a very sensitive place.
07:41There is a temple of Hindu Hinduism.
07:45If there is a lot of information about the Raam Mandir
07:51there is a lot of information about the Raam Mandir.
07:58I said to myself,
07:59I said to myself,
08:00you will be aware of any independent agency
08:03which can be true.
08:06Because you can see,
08:07it is also very important.
08:08It is also very important.
08:12So, I thought,
08:14I thought,
08:18there are two points.
08:18One,
08:19I was asked to say that,
08:21and I thought,
08:21I thought,
08:21I was asked to say that,
08:25the Prime Minister will be aware of it.
08:26The government is not aware of it.
08:31The other point,
08:32when I wrote some statements,
08:35people said that,
08:36they came to the table,
08:39they came to the table,
08:40they came to the table,
08:44they came to the table.
08:48The trust will make these things on our website.
08:53If the person who has given the truth,
08:54the truth will not be aware of it.
08:57Because you will also see all the people,
08:59and you will also see it.
09:02No one says that I have lost my heart,
09:04no one says that I have lost my heart,
09:05no one says that I have lost my heart.
09:07If the trust will be put on our website,
09:10and people will see it,
09:12I think that this will end up for the question.
09:15So the trust, when the trust was given,
09:18the trust has given the truth,
09:20and they have given the truth to them.
09:22They have given the truth to them.
09:25They have given the truth to them.
09:25We will not give them the truth.
09:27Let's talk about the truth.
09:29After the truth,
09:30there are eight people arrested.
09:33And these eight people,
09:35there are no senior management.
09:38The truth is that they are sitting on the top of the trust.
09:42You think that the senior management,
09:48it is happening to the truth,
09:52There is no second potential investment.
09:53The plan for the truth is to the truth.
09:56They are very bad,
09:58so they can have taken the truth.
10:00And because of that,
10:00the consequences of itнуes have a lot,
10:02and the Uhudhu has reached a lot.
10:04They should give them the truth first.
10:23All right. Thank you for joining us. Joining me on the show now is Arvind Kumar Jain,
10:28former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and Karthik Chopra, spokesperson of Nirmohi Akhada.
10:34Arvind Kumar Jain, I want to understand from you first, you know, because here is Champat Rai
10:39who has claimed moral responsibility and he has resigned. The SIT, what are the level of
10:45allegations against him is still not clear. But can he really say that he did not know
10:52what his driver and other eight people were doing when he was the one running the trust?
10:58He was the one responsible for the day-to-day management of the functioning of this entire
11:03counting and collection and the entire process of, you know, the offerings of Ramlalla.
11:10No, he cannot claim it. He is himself responsible. So many people were briefing him regarding the
11:23embezzlement and other activities going on during counting. Mischief was being done. Everything was in
11:32his knowledge. And if he has not acted, he is, in my opinion, at fault. Whether he acts or not,
11:40he is occupying
11:42some high position at Ram Janambhumi Teerth Trust. And it was his duty to stop it, to make, if suppose
11:53he comes
11:54to know that some embezzlement has taken place. Now, just for example, I am saying 200 silver bricks were given
12:01to him by Sindhi Samaj, Mr. Manwani and others. Where are those bricks? He is answerable because he is receiving
12:09them.
12:10He is receiving the other articles also which were presented to Ramlalla. So now he has to specify that where
12:18are those articles?
12:19Why are they missing? And if they are missing, who is responsible? Did he give those articles in the custody
12:26of some other person?
12:27Then that person will be interrogated. He will have to come out with the facts and he cannot claim that
12:34he is not responsible.
12:36Yes, absolutely. You know, Karthik, you have been concerned about the entire report when it came out in the public
12:42domain that there have been
12:43theft and embezzlement. Now it is very clear that there is, it's no longer allegation, there is fact to this
12:51charge.
12:53As someone who has faith, do you feel that Champath Rai cannot just go off the hook, that he has
13:05to explain, there has to be criminal investigation?
13:09Let me just take you back a little bit in history. Nirmohi Akhada was granted the shabiat duty by Guru
13:17Ramanandacharya 800 years ago.
13:20The Supreme Court of India had no right to rule on whether we were the shabiat or not. It was
13:26all a matter of possession.
13:27During the court, there is no record of proceedings of the entire hearings in Supreme Court. For such an important
13:34case, why was there never a record of proceedings?
13:37During the Supreme Court hearings, Rajeev Dhawan, representing the Sunni Central Work Board towards the latter part of the hearings,
13:45even said that Nirmohi Akhada has always been in joint possession of the site. And if the site is granted
13:54to Lord Ram Lalla Virajman, possession must be granted to Nirmohi Akhada.
13:59Immediately, Shiri Shiri Ravai Shankar was called to carry out second round of mediation. The first round of mediation was
14:05carried out from in the period, mid-June, July.
14:09Karthik, let's put the spotlight on the investigation, please. That's the background. Let's put the spotlight on the investigation now.
14:15The spotlight on the investigation is that the Supreme Court order clearly said Nirmohi Akhada is to be made a
14:22part of any scheme of management made by the central government to manage this construction and management of the temple.
14:31Nirmohi Akhada is a panchayati nyas. We have 15 panches led by a sarpanch who today, Mahant Raja Ram Chandraacharya,
14:40is 102 years old.
14:41He has fought this case all his life. The land forever, generation to generation, in the Dakhil Kharaj, was always
14:49in the name of the month of the Nirmohi Akhada.
14:50No, no, but tell me something, tell me something, Karthik. Are you satisfied with the direction of the investigation?
14:58Not at all. Not at all. What we say, we are not satisfied at all. Nirmohi Akhada, being Ramanandi Bairagi,
15:06the entire operation of this temple should have been carried out in the Ramanandi Bairagi tradition,
15:10involving all the Bairagi Akhadas. When this trust was made in February 2020, in this trust, Nitya Gopal Das Ji
15:18was put in,
15:19whereas in 1996 and 1993, there was a judgment of the lower court which clearly said, Ram Janabhumi nyas cannot
15:26ever be a party in this.
15:30There are judgments, Ismail Faruqi versus Union in India. There is Justice Venkat Chaliyah's judgment.
15:36That's the subject of a larger discussion.
15:38One second, man. No, no, no, please, please, please, please listen to us. I'm coming to this.
15:42It was very clear at that time in the, in the ordinance, presidential ordinance, which became the act of 1993,
15:48that in the event the land was ever handed over to any new post judgment, it was handed over for
15:53construction of temple or mosque,
15:54whatever the case may be. No trust or party that had been part of, of, of the operation for this
16:00was to be involved.
16:01Why then was Nirmuhi Akhada excluded? Our punches were excluded. One of our mahants sitting in Ayodhya was nominated by
16:09these other nine members to be a part of the temple trust,
16:12but never given any role, responsibility, any saint in deciding who would, what lands would be bought.
16:19Therefore, when there was the land, Ghotala, at that time, we clearly denied that our mahant is kept away.
16:26He sits in this Akhada all the time. He is only called for a customary opportunity, once in a way,
16:32a photo opportunity, when there is a big function.
16:34During the Pran Pradesh, none of our mahants were called.
16:37Okay, Arvind Kumar Jain, let me go back to Arvind Kumar Jain, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh.
16:42Let's look at the, let's look at...
16:44Unless Nirmuhi Akhada, mahants are sitting as part of this SIT.
16:50Okay. Arvind Kumar Jain, let's, let's discuss the investigation and let's have Arvind Kumar Jain on the screen.
16:56Arvind Kumar Jain, when you look at the investigation, it's been largely the FIR and the rest have been made
17:02of eight individuals.
17:03One is Tinu Yadha, believed to be close aid of, of, of, of Champat Rai.
17:09The other seven are staffers.
17:13These are those who are cashiers, transportation guys.
17:18So, certainly, there was someone who was planning perhaps a chain of events in which had all these people and
17:27their role defined.
17:31You are, you are correct.
17:33These are the people against whom crime has been established.
17:39And because crime has been established or recovery of looted money has been made, that is why these people have
17:48been arrested.
17:49This is not the end of the investigation.
17:52Investigation will now start.
17:55The SIT will again go to Ayodhya and submit its final report to CM, to government.
18:01And after that, real SIT will be formed, consisting of, I think, 15-20 people, in my opinion, because it's
18:09a Harpulian task.
18:11And it is not possible for two or three people to conduct an investigation.
18:15And after that, all possible questions will be raised.
18:19All possible people will raise questions and ask SIT, what has happened to the BRICS?
18:25What has happened to this?
18:27What has happened to this?
18:28But, Arvind Kumar Jain, do you think that with the SIT not there in the public domain,
18:34the FIR perhaps, based on the SIT report, has raised more questions?
18:39And then, 12 hours later, we are seeing two resignations.
18:44I couldn't get you.
18:46I'm saying, we do not know the content of the SIT report.
18:50It's largely source-based.
18:52Then, 48 hours after the SIT report is submitted, we see first set of FIR.
18:58I'm still seeing this as preliminary FIR.
19:01Eight arrests made.
19:03And day later, Champath Rai resigns.
19:06So, the question certainly will be asked, what is exactly there in the SIT report, which
19:15does it really implicate, Mr. Rai?
19:18No, no.
19:19That will be part of investigation.
19:22Statements will be recorded of hundreds of people.
19:25They will be asked specific questions.
19:27And if I am asked a question, and I am not involved, I will say that I handed it over
19:34to Mr. Champath Rai.
19:35Now, it is now up to Champath Rai to explain where is that item.
19:40Then only accused will be made.
19:43These are the people from whom recoveries have been made, either from their home or from their possession.
19:48And 79 lakhs or some money has been recovered from their possession.
19:54They have been sent to jail.
19:56It has sent a message.
19:58Now, the tellers, the counting staff, the other people, they will all be interrogated.
20:03The CCTV footages will be seen.
20:06So many things are visible in CCTV footage that people are pocketing money.
20:12So, they will all be made and accused.
20:15Nobody will be spared.
20:16This investigation now starts in a way.
20:20And I think within four or five days, real SIT will be formed of investigators.
20:28And then the real investigation will start.
20:30And these people will be sent to jail.
20:34Whenever the crime is established against a person, you just can't book somebody that so many people are taking the
20:42name of Champath Rai or Anil Bishra or Gopal Rai.
20:45So, you may make them an accuser.
20:48There has to be concrete proof because that proof has to be placed before the court.
20:52Court has to be told that these are the charges and this is the evidence against these people.
21:00And please give us a demand of these people.
21:02In my opinion, no one will be spared in this case because so many people are keeping watch over it.
21:09And so many people are going to give concrete information to SIT.
21:16Arvind Kumar, I appreciate your time on the show and thank you to Karthik Chopra as well.
21:21UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has promised zero tolerance for corruption, but the opposition is clearly not satisfied and is
21:29insisting that probe not just the donation scam, missing jewels, but also the alleged land scam.
21:38Watch this report because there is much more and the story is very much still developing.
21:48It is undoubtedly one of the biggest assaults on Aastha.
21:53A scandal that has shaken the faith of millions of devotees.
21:59But this is no longer just a religious controversy.
22:03The Ram Mandir donation theft has now snowballed into a major political flashpoint.
22:08For the BJP, the controversy is a serious political setback, even if the party is not directly accused in the
22:15alleged theft.
22:17The focus have shifted from the grand Ram Mandir inauguration to allegations of loot in devotees' donations.
22:24A controversy like this risks overshadowing one of the BJP's biggest political achievements.
22:30It threatens to disrupt the party's election messaging.
22:34It could leave sections of its core support base uneasy.
22:38And it raises uncomfortable questions over transparency and accountability in handling public donations.
22:46Perhaps that explains the Yogi government's tough response.
22:49Chief Minister Yogi Dityanath has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy promising that those who betrayed the faith of devotees will
22:58face the strictest action.
23:25Chief Minister Yogi Dityanath has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy.
23:31Chief Minister Yogi Dityanath has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy.
23:43Chief Minister Yogi Dityanath has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy.
24:28the
24:29foreign
24:43foreign
25:00The investigation will fix responsibility.
25:03But politically, the controversy has already become a challenge for the BJP.
25:09Bureau Report, India Today.
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