Ayodhya Police record Champat Rai's statement in Ram Temple Donation embezzlement probe
Ayodhya Police have recorded the statement of former Trust General Secretary Champat Rai as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple. The development comes days after Rai offered to resign, taking what he described as "moral responsibility" for the controversy.
A police official confirmed that Rai's statement had been recorded but did not disclose when or where the questioning took place. Sources said Ayodhya Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari, who is leading the investigation, visited Rai's residence at Bharat Kuti in Karsevakpuram to record his statement.
According to sources, investigators sought information and documents related to the alleged theft of temple donations. Rai is believed to have become aware of the suspected irregularities before the issue escalated into a political controversy.
Officials declined to comment on reports suggesting Rai admitted that delaying the filing of an FIR after learning about the alleged theft was a mistake, stating that details of the questioning remain confidential.
The controversy first came to light on June 7, when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that donations at the Ram Temple had been misappropriated. At the time, Rai dismissed the allegations, saying that an internal audit had found no significant discrepancies.
Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13. The SIT's preliminary findings reportedly pointed to multiple violations of the standard operating procedures governing the handling of temple donations, including lapses in CCTV footage preservation, security checks and the management of donation box keys.
Based on the SIT's report submitted on June 23, police registered an FIR on June 25 and arrested eight individuals associated with the temple's donation-counting process. Authorities said nearly ₹80 lakh in cash, along with foreign currency, has been recovered from six of the accused so far.
Among those arrested is Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, a former driver of Champat Rai, who allegedly had access to keys of several donation boxes in violation of prescribed procedures.
Police also questioned another accused, Avinash Shukla, inside the district jail on Tuesday after obtaining court permission. Investigators are continuing to probe the alleged embezzlement and determine the sequence of events that led to the delayed registration of the FIR.
The case has sparked a political storm, with opposition parties demanding greater accountability from the temple trust and authorities as the investigation progresses.