Ram Temple Trust gets its first CEO; retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra chosen for the post

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has chosen retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir after a meeting held at Shri Maniramdas Chhawni in Ayodhya on Wednesday to discuss and finalise the appointment.

Announcing the decision, the Trust’s interim general secretary Krishna Mohan said the members discussed the appointment during the meeting and recalled Mishra’s association with Operation Sindoor.

"A discussion was held, and it was decided that Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (Retd) will be the CEO (of the Trust)...During Operation Sindoor, the Air Force played a significant role, and he was the Commander-in-Chief during the Operation," Mohan said.

The Trust also made changes to its senior leadership. It appointed its treasurer, Swami Govind Dev Giri, as the new general secretary, replacing Krishna Mohan. Mahesh Bhagchandka will take over as the new treasurer.

The appointment came after a three-member search committee submitted its final report a day earlier following a rigorous screening process. More than 5,000 applicants competed for the CEO post.

The committee submitted its report during a high-level meeting attended by Trust members, including Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj, Mahant Dinendra Das, Krishna Mohan and Ayodhya District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi.

The three-member search committee comprised retired Lieutenant General Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi, former scientist Suresh Haware and former Justice Pramod Kohli.

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Appointment comes amid donation theft row

Mishra’s appointment comes amid a controversy over the alleged theft of temple offerings and the resignation of the Trust’s former general secretary, Champat Rai. Police have also arrested eight people linked to the counting and alleged theft of donations.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed hope that there would be no theft of "Ram Dhan" after the Trust appointed its first CEO.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav alleged that poor people were being defrauded of their land in Ayodhya.

"When new things happen, do we forget what happened in the past? We have no complaints from anyone, but the way the theft of donations happened, you sent ordinary employees to jail but spared the big names. We hope there will be no theft of 'Ram Dhan'," Yadav said.