Ram Temple trust to discuss CEO, trustee appointments in key meet amid theft probe

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will hold two key meetings in Ayodhya on Wednesday to appoint a new general secretary, fill three vacant trustee posts and discuss the appointment of the Ram temple's first chief executive officer, or CEO, amid the ongoing donation theft controversy.

According to Trust sources, a special meeting will be held at 3 pm in the Ram temple complex, followed by the regular meeting at 4 pm at Maniram Chhawani, the residence of Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

The meetings are also expected to take up financial transparency, counting of offerings, donation handling, security arrangements and other administrative issues.

The special meeting is expected to consider the appointment of a new general secretary after Champat Rai resigned. It is also expected to fill three vacancies in the Trust that arose after the resignations of Rai and trustee Anil Mishra in the wake of the donation theft case, and the death of trustee Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra.

Most trustees had reached Ayodhya by Tuesday, while some members are expected to join virtually from Delhi and Lucknow, sources said.

Sources said the meeting is also likely to discuss the administrative framework for the newly created CEO post, including the officer's responsibilities and the future selection process.

The Trust had invited applications for the post till July 18. While some media reports said between 2,500 and 5,500 applications had been received, no official figure has been released.

However, sources associated with the selection process said the response was "overwhelming", with applications reportedly coming from several retired IAS and IPS officers, senior bureaucrats and professionals.

There is speculation that the Trust may give additional time to the three-member expert committee to examine the large number of applications before preparing a shortlist.

The expert panel comprises retired Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former NIT Raipur chairperson Suresh Haware. It has been tasked with evaluating the applications and recommending suitable candidates, while the final appointment will be made by the Trust.

The CEO post was created as part of a wider administrative overhaul to strengthen financial oversight, improve institutional accountability and streamline the temple's day-to-day functioning.

Ram Temple Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Mishra had earlier said the CEO's main responsibility would be to uphold devotees' faith in the Trust while overseeing financial arrangements and pilgrim facilities, and added that there would be no government interference in the Trust's functioning.

Trust sources said the Wednesday meetings would also formally confirm the proceedings of the July 6 meeting, when a committee was set up to recommend amendments to the trust deed and frame guidelines for the custody, valuation and disposal of devotees' offerings.

In another development, Mahant Dinendra Das on Tuesday dismissed reports that he had been removed from his position in the Nirmohi Akhara, calling them "baseless and misleading".

Addressing a press conference in Ayodhya, he said 13 of the Akhara's 19 panchs supported him and alleged that a few members were conspiring against him. He also said Wednesday's meeting would discuss filling the three vacant trustee posts, besides reviewing the counting of currency notes offered at the temple and its security arrangements.

The meetings are being held amid the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple. The Uttar Pradesh government set up a Special Investigation Team on June 13 to examine the allegations.

After the preliminary SIT report was submitted on June 23, an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight accused -- Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav -- were arrested.

Police have recovered cash from multiple accused, including Rs 20.39 lakh from Avinash Shukla, along with gold, silver, foreign currency and a donation box labelled "Ramrajya Kosh".

The SIT's final report has since been submitted before the Supreme Court, and Trust sources said it may also be discussed on Wednesday.

On Monday, the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to inform it whether the same SIT, comprising two senior IAS officers and a senior IPS officer, could be entrusted with the main investigation instead of the local police to ensure fairness and transparency, while also cautioning litigants against politicising the issue.

In sum, the Trust's two meetings on Wednesday are expected to cover appointments, the new CEO post, financial safeguards and security, while also taking place against the backdrop of the donation theft case and the ongoing court-linked investigation.