Investigation is going on rapidly in the donation theft case in Ayodhya. The investigating SIT team has simultaneously interrogated Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra as well as temple assistant administrator Gopal Rao in the temple premises. Regarding Gopal Rao, who was in the news in the embezzlement case, Vinay Katiyar said that he is not the right person. He also claimed that this issue has been discussed with PM Narendra Modi. Everything will be alright.
Vinay Katiyar, former MP from Faizabad (now Ayodhya), targeted Gopal Rao and said, "He is the most useless man. I don't know who sent him here." He also said that we never used to go to Ayodhya, when we went there, Gopal Rao asked us with whose permission you had come here.”
Regarding Gopal Rao, Katiyar said, “We told him that you are not going to stay here, you should go to the South from where you came.” On the agitation regarding Ram temple, Katiyar said that a large number of people have made sacrifices for the Ram temple. Now it would be good if Avinash is punished. There has been huge embezzlement of money here.
#WATCH | Ayodhya, UP | On Ram Mandir donations alleged theft case, BJP leader and Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar says, “It's clear that money has been siphoned off. I spoke to Modi ji over this matter, and he asked what would happen in future. I told him everything will be pic.twitter.com/eUBB6zSKfu
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2026
Vinay Katiyar said, "It is clear that there has been misappropriation of money. I spoke to PM Modi on this matter and he asked what would happen next. I told him that everything will be fine. It is possible that Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra will have to go to jail in the coming days." He also said that due to some reason Champat Rai has not gone to jail yet.
Earlier on Thursday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had interrogated Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao together in the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya. Sources said that the members of the SIT formed on June 13 last, after investigating for 6 days and submitting the preliminary investigation report to the government, reached the temple premises for the second time yesterday, when the investigation team interrogated Rai, Mishra and Rao separately.
On the sidelines of questioning, Champat Rai said that his service in Ayodhya has been completed but he will not leave Ayodhya with 'Kalank'. According to sources, Champat Rai, who was living in solitary confinement, also told some of his close associates that he had been 'betrayed'. However, he did not clarify whom he was targeting.
On the other hand, in the offering theft case, the police on Thursday took Avinash Shukla, an accused in jail, on 24-hour remand for further questioning. Sources associated with the police said that Avinash, who worked as a count of offerings in the temple, was produced in the court, which gave him 24-hour police remand. According to sources, during the investigation, Rs 20.39 lakh was recovered from Avinash.
After the case of alleged embezzlement in donation theft of Ram temple in Ayodhya came to light, the state government had constituted SIT on June 13 last month to investigate the matter. SIT submitted its initial report on 23 June. Two days later, on June 25, the first FIR was registered in the case and 8 people named in the case were arrested.
