Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft case: Who is Krishna Mohan? Interim general secretary of Trust replaces Champat Rai

Announcing a key organisational change, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri on Monday said Krishna Mohan has been appointed as the Trust's interim General Secretary, following Champat Rai's resignation.

Giri stated that the Trust accepted the resignations submitted by General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra in accordance with its constitution. Describing the alleged theft during the counting of donations as "shameful", he said, "General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra had tendered their resignations... Under the constitution of the trust, the resignation is considered accepted... We accepted the resignation."

He added, “Krishna Mohan ji is the interim general secretary now.”

A key meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was held in Ayodhya on Monday to discuss the alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of temple donations.

The meeting, held at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, was attended by Trust President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, as per ANI. Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad also participated in the proceedings through video conferencing.

"It was decided to hold the scheduled Trust meeting--originally set for July 11--as early as possible; consequently, acting on information shared with everyone, we convened it today, July 6. The meeting was attended by the revered Chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das Ji Maharaj; the revered Shankaracharya Ji Maharaj; Yug Purush Parmanand Ji Maharaj; Vishwa Prasanna Tirtha Ji Maharaj of Pejawar; our new trustee Krishna Mohan Ji; and the District Collector of Ayodhya, Shashank Tripathi Ji. Thus, this highly significant meeting, attended by the full quorum, was a lengthy and successful session that brought everyone together," Giri said.

Who is Krishna Mohan?

Krishna Mohan is an alumnus of Lucknow University and has a diverse professional background spanning public service and administration.

He spent a significant part of his career in the Atomic Energy Department before joining the Indian Forest Service (IFS), Maharashtra cadre, from where he retired after serving in a senior position.

Apart from his administrative career, Mohan has been actively engaged in social work in Hardoi and has contributed to various community welfare initiatives.

What did Krishna Mohan say?

Krishna Mohan asserted that weaknesses in the Trust's administrative and operational systems had been taken advantage of by others. He mentioned that his immediate priority would be to strengthen internal processes, address the lapses and implement measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

“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. We are all deeply pained by the events that have transpired; everyone has suffered, including the devotees of Ram,” Krishna Mohan said, according to ANI.

He added, "There were certain shortcomings in management and operations that were exploited by others. Therefore, my primary endeavour will be to plug these loopholes and rectify errors. I will make every effort to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future. The prevailing atmosphere has somewhat tarnished the image of our Trust, giving rise to a sense of mistrust within society. We will take all necessary steps to dispel this negative perception and rebuild trust within the community..."