The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday named Krishna Mohan as its interim general secretary after accepting the resignations of Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra in the wake of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations.
Announcing the decision, Ram Temple Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri said Krishna Mohan would shoulder the additional responsibility of serving as acting general secretary until a permanent appointment is made.
Speaking alongside Giri, Mohan said the Trust was committed to correcting the deficiencies exposed by the donation controversy and would take all necessary steps to restore the faith of devotees.
Krishna Mohan, 73, is a permanent trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and a retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. Originally from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, he joined the Trust in September 2025 after succeeding the late Kameshwar Chaupal.
A graduate of Lucknow University, Mohan previously served in the Atomic Energy Department before joining the Indian Forest Service. Since becoming part of the Trust in 2025, he has played an active role in its administrative functioning and has now been assigned the additional charge of interim general secretary.
Accepting the responsibility, Mohan acknowledged that weaknesses within the existing system had been exploited and pledged to address them.
“There were certain shortcomings" in the system which were exploited by others and that his “primary endeavour will be to plug the loopholes and rectify errors."
“I have been entrusted with the responsibility of discharging the duties of general secretary in an acting capacity until a new general secretary is appointed. Anyone found guilty in this matter, we will insist and remain firm in our insistence that they receive appropriate punishment in accordance with justice," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Mohan said the alleged misappropriation of temple donations had caused deep anguish among devotees of Lord Ram and assured that the Trust would work to ensure such incidents are not repeated.
The announcement came during a press conference following a key meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya, where the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were formally accepted.
Rai had stepped down as the Trust's general secretary on moral grounds after allegations of donation theft emerged. His resignation came after police arrested eight people in connection with the case, including his driver, Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu.
Anil Mishra, also a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, resigned as well. Although both Rai and Mishra have been linked to the donation theft controversy, no criminal case has been registered against either of them.
The Uttar Pradesh government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations of misappropriation. According to investigators, members of the alleged racket had meticulously studied the layout of the donation counting centre, including the positioning of CCTV cameras, entry and exit points, and staff movement, before carrying out the alleged thefts.
Also Read | SIT: Ram Temple Ex-Trustee Mishra Failed to Safeguard Donations
Also Read | Ram Temple Trust Accepts Champat Rai's Resignation Following Donation Theft Row
