Ayodhya: Former Ram temple trust general secretary Champat Rai on Tuesday said he would respond to all allegations of embezzlement of donations against him after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submits its final report.
In a late development, a statement purportedly submitted by Rai to the SIT surfaced online in the evening, in which he questioned the role of a bank in the temple's donation-counting process.
Earlier, in a handwritten letter addressed to "Ram bhakts", Rai, the former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said "baseless allegations" have been levelled against him.
He shared a photograph of the letter on social media platform X along with a couplet from the Ramcharitmanas: "Dheeraj dharm mitra aru naari, aapad kaal parikhiye chari" (Patience, righteousness, friends and one's spouse are tested in times of adversity).
Rai said he observed 'maun dharan' (silence) over the allegations and noted that the SIT's preliminary report had been presented before the trust's general meeting.
The report, which he said was initially marked "top secret", has since been made public.
He said after the SIT submits its final report, he would respond point by point to the issues being raised and that "the entire truth" would come before the public.
The alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple came to light on June 7. An FIR was registered on June 25 on the basis of a preliminary report submitted by the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Eight persons associated with the temple's donation-counting process have been arrested so far, and the investigation is continuing.
Referring to his background, Rai said he had been working in Ayodhya since October 1991 after being deputed by the organisation and that his 45-year-long life as a full-time pracharak had always been "an open book".
In the signed statement, which surfaced online, Rai apparently questioned the role of the State Bank of India in the temple's donation-counting process.
In the statement addressed to the SIT, Rai requested that it be taken on record and rejected a document titled "Jointly determined guidelines for the counting process" dated February 6, 2025, bearing the signatures of trustee Anil Mishra and the chief manager of SBI's Ayodhya branch.
In the statement, Rai said he was "absolutely not in agreement" with the guidelines document and rejected it, claiming that although it stated a copy had been sent to the trust's general secretary, he became aware of it only on June 13, 2026, through the trust's accounts office.
He also said his signatures did not appear on the guidelines, unlike all agreements executed between August 2020 and June 2026, which, according to him, carried only his signature and that of the authorised officer of the other party.
Rai further questioned why his signatures were not obtained on the guidelines and said that if he was away from Ayodhya at the time, the authorities should have waited. Referring to a memorandum of understanding signed with the bank on February 9, 2024, he said every page bore his signatures and that it provided for security measures such as CCTV cameras in the counting room and an iron-barred entrance.
He alleged that the bank had advised that donations be counted while sitting on chairs at tables, a practice he claimed facilitated the theft.
Rai said the tables were removed after the incident came to light and counting thereafter was conducted while sitting on the floor.
He also alleged that mandatory safeguards such as frisking, the use of pocketless clothing and other chest-room protocols were not enforced by the bank despite being mentioned in the guidelines.
Rai further alleged that banking procedures were completely ignored and questioned the bank's decision to deploy housekeeping staff for the donation-counting exercise.
He claimed the guidelines were prepared in haste and were not implemented in practice, adding that if senior bank officials had been aware of them, the lapses would have been detected.
Rai could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. However, people close to him confirmed that he has been observing 'maun' (silence) and remains in seclusion.
The Ram temple trust met on Monday to choose trustee Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary and promised to overhaul the donation system and restore the faith of devotees.
While describing the theft from the temple's donation boxes as a matter of "deep pain and embarrassment" for the trust, treasurer Govind Giri, however, said the trust unanimously appreciated Rai's contribution to the Ram temple movement and construction despite accepting his resignation.
Defending Rai, Giri said he "is untainted in my eyes" and hailed his "life of sacrifice" for the Ram temple movement, while suggesting that his only mistake may have been placing trust in the wrong people.