Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned from their positions, citing moral responsibility amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

An official confirmed that both office-bearers submitted their resignations following developments in the probe, which includes a preliminary report submitted by a Special Investigating Team (SIT). The investigation gained momentum after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reportedly took a firm stance on the matter.

According to reports, an estimated ₹7 crore to ₹7.5 crore may be missing from the temple's donation accounts. However, authorities have not yet released an official figure, and the investigation is still underway.

Police have registered a case against eight individuals in connection with the alleged embezzlement. Six of the accused were members of the temple staff responsible for counting cash donations. Investigators allege that CCTV footage captured them siphoning off money, following which they were arrested.

The accused have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramshankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu.

The controversy has also triggered political reactions. Opposition leaders have questioned the scope of the FIR, alleging that it does not assign responsibility to senior functionaries of the Trust, including Champat Rai and Anil Mishra.

As of now, no allegations of criminal wrongdoing have been made against Rai or Mishra in the police case. The investigation into the alleged donation misappropriation remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to provide further details once the inquiry is completed.

Sources: NDTV