Champat Rai, former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has submitted a written statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, raising questions over the counting guidelines and the procedures followed during the process.
In his submission, Rai objected to the signatures of former trustee Anil Mishra and Govind Mishra, chief manager of the State Bank of India's Ayodhya branch, on the counting guidelines dated February 6, 2025, and said he would take cognisance of the matter.
In the letter, Rai said he became aware of the issue on June 13, 2026.
He stated that every agreement executed between August 2020 and June 2026 had been signed only by him and the chief representative of the other party. Against that backdrop, he questioned why his signature had not been obtained on the February 6, 2025, document.
Rai also said that if he had not been present in Ayodhya at the time, those responsible should have waited until he was available to sign the document.
The letter has led to questions over coordination within the Trust's management during the period in question.
Rai said his signature appears on every page of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the bank on February 9, 2024.
In the statement, he attributed the alleged theft to negligence and said all security measures outlined in the MoU—including CCTV cameras and iron doors at the bank's counting centre—had been put in place.
However, he claimed that the bank's instruction requiring counting to be carried out while seated on chairs made the alleged theft easier.
According to Rai, chairs and tables were removed immediately after the alleged theft came to light, following which counting was conducted while sitting on the floor.
Referring to bank protocols, he said banks across the country have prescribed rules for their chest rooms, but claimed the State Bank of India's procedures are even more stringent.
He alleged that rules relating to searches and the requirement for personnel entering and leaving the counting room to wear pocketless clothing were not properly implemented. He also claimed that the clothes supplied by the bank had pockets despite the stated guidelines.
Rai further alleged that bank regulations were ignored throughout the counting process.
He claimed senior bank officials were unaware of the prescribed guidelines and suggested that, had they been informed, the alleged irregularities could have been detected earlier.
He also alleged that the guidelines had been prepared in haste and were not implemented in practice. In addition, he questioned the use of housekeeping staff during the counting process, stating that senior bank officials were likely unaware of these arrangements.
