'My life has remained an open book': Champat Rai breaks silence with open letter on Ram temple row

Former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai on Tuesday broke his silence for the first time since resigning amid the alleged Ram temple donation theft controversy, saying he would respond to all allegations against him only after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submits its final report.

"Since June 7, 2026, various types of discussions/rumors have been going on regarding a theft committed during the counting of the donation box at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple premises. Personally, people have made baseless allegations against me. I have taken a vow of silence," he wrote in the Hindi letter posted on X.

The trust oversees the management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Rai had played a leading role in the temple's administration even before construction of the shrine began.

The controversy erupted after authorities alleged that people involved in counting donations from the temple collection boxes had embezzled crores of rupees. So far, eight people have been arrested in the case, with several accused allegedly found living lifestyles that did not match their known sources of income.

Referring to the trust meeting held on July 6, Rai said, "In the meeting of the Temple Trust concluded on July 6, the preliminary report of the SIT (Special Investigation Team) was presented; this report has now become public. I assure all of you that after the final report of the SIT comes out, I will give my response chronologically on all the points."

Rai also defended his public life, saying he had been working in Ayodhya since October 1991 after being deputed there by the organisation and had served as a pracharak for 45 years. "Wherever I have served, my life has remained an open book," he wrote.

His statement came a day after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust accepted the resignations of Rai and Anil Mishra amid the controversy surrounding the alleged theft of temple donations. The trust said both ceased to be trustees immediately after their resignations were accepted.