Ram Mandir Trust appoints Bajrang Bagra as new chief after donation theft scandal

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, convened a meeting on July 6 amid a probe into alleged theft of cash and gold donations. The meeting was expected to decide on the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, both of whom stepped down in June following the scandal.

Trust members accepted Rai’s resignation and voted to appoint Bajrang Bagra, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s International General Secretary and former chairman of NALCO, as the new General Secretary (chief administrator) of the trust. Bagra’s corporate and financial background is intended to restore governance and transparency.

In parallel, the trust is reviewing its long‑standing banking relationship with the State Bank of India, considering a shift to another institution to improve security and oversight of donations. It also plans to overhaul its financial management by bringing in chartered accountants, retired bank officials and other professionals, and to end its outsourcing model for donation counting.

Treasurer Govind Dev Giri announced a press conference after the meeting to address further questions. The controversy has also prompted a public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe and a CAG audit of the trust’s finances.