Champat Rai’s resignation accepted in Ram Mandir Trust: Even though formal ties are broken, close ones still dominate the operation of bank accounts.

A big news is coming out amidst the chaos after the theft of offerings in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir Trust (Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra). Former general secretary Champat Rai’s resignation may have been formally accepted and he is out of the trust, but his influence over the financial and administrative management of the temple still remains intact. The important responsibility of operating the trust’s bank accounts has now been handed over to Champat Rai’s two most trusted close associates.

Interim General Secretary Krishna Mohan will take command

After accepting the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra on July 6, the Trust has appointed Krishna Mohan as the interim General Secretary. Till the appointment of the new regular General Secretary, Krishna Mohan will handle the entire functioning and future outline of the Trust. However, since the Trust has many important and big accounts in various banks, a special team has been formed to operate them, in which Champat Rai loyalists have got a place.

Champat Rai’s loyalists ‘Chandan’ and ‘Jagdish’ got big responsibility

Chartered Accountant (CA) Chandan Rai and Engineer Jagdish Afley have been appointed to assist the interim general secretary in maintaining bank accounts and financial operations.

• CA Chandan Rai: For a long time, the financial audit and other important works of the Trust have been looked after under the direct direction of Champat Rai.

• Engineer Jagdish Afley: Jagdish Afley, a resident of Maharashtra, had come to Ayodhya during the Pran Pratishtha program held in January and since then he has been staying here and handling the work of temple management as the main aide of Champat Rai.

Champat Rai’s big revelation before SIT: SBI accused of laxity

Amidst this entire controversy, Champat Rai has filed his one-page written statement before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), in which he has directly put State Bank of India (SBI) in the dock. Rai alleged that the bank grossly violated its own security rules and guidelines, which were always ignored.

Champat Rai said in his statement, “There are very strict rules related to currency chest rooms in all the banks of the country. Under this, it is mandatory for the employees to be thoroughly searched while entering and exiting and to wear special uniforms without pockets. But SBI never implemented this guideline. The clothes initially given by the bank to its staff had pockets built in them.” Rai has demanded from the SIT that senior officials of the bank should be summoned to answer as to how such a “gross laxity” was taken at such a sensitive place.