Ayodhya: Champat Rai, who faced criticism over the Ram Temple donation theft case and later resigned from the post of general secretary, has once again been seen taking an active role. For the first time since the controversy, he visited the Tirth Yatri Seva Kendra and met employees to hear their concerns.
During the visit, Rai told the employees to inform him if they faced any problems. Former trustee Dr Anil Mishra was also present with him.
Rai spent around an hour at the service centre, interacting with employees and enquiring about their well-being. His renewed activity comes at a time when the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed a new full-time general secretary and its first CEO.
Donation Theft Case Had Triggered Controversy
The controversy intensified in June when Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue of alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple. Rai had initially denied the allegations.
However, as pressure mounted and an SIT investigation reportedly confirmed the theft, the matter became more serious. According to the allegations surrounding the case, it later emerged that Rai had prior knowledge of the theft before the issue was raised by Akhilesh Yadav.
A video showing the alleged recovery of lakhs of rupees was also circulated on social media. Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra had described the incident as a “dacoity”.
Amid the controversy and criticism, Rai eventually resigned from the post of general secretary.
Three Removed Employees Return to Their Posts
Meanwhile, three employees who had earlier been removed from Ram Temple-related arrangements following separate complaints and allegations have returned to their duties.
They include Sandeep Gupta, son of martyr kar sevak Vasudev Gupta, KD Tiwari and Bajrang Pathak.
Sandeep Gupta had been removed from the locker management system at the Tirth Yatri Seva Kendra following a complaint from a foreign woman.
The woman had reportedly submitted a complaint to the Trust after an argument related to keeping belongings in a locker. Interim General Secretary Krishna Mohan subsequently issued a show-cause notice to Sandeep Gupta, and he was removed from work after his response was considered unsatisfactory.
Reinstatement Recommended After New General Secretary’s Arrival
Sandeep Gupta had been given work at the temple in view of the financial condition of the family of the martyr kar sevak.
After the arrival of new full-time General Secretary Swami Govind Dev Giri, his reinstatement was recommended. He was subsequently posted back to his earlier position.
Champat Rai’s visit to the Tirth Yatri Seva Kendra and the return of the three employees have once again drawn attention to developments surrounding the Ram Temple’s administrative arrangements.
