Ram Temple Trust may pick administrative officer as CEO amid donation probe, names surface

AN administrative ship's ship's officer may be prescribed as the chief executive director officer (CEO) of the pound Mandir Trust, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) recommending the creation of the post in its preliminary report, officials said on Tuesday.The recommendation is part of a broader proposal to strengthen the trust’s administrative functioning, said the people cited above. The proposal is expected to figure prominently during the Trust’s quarterly meeting on July 11, while the central government is also likely to take a decision on the issue before the meeting.The people cited above said the names of Ram Mandir Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra and retired IAS officer Yogeshwarram Mishra are being discussed for the proposed CEO post. However, no official decision has been taken so far.The proposed appointment will require amendments to the trust’s bylaws, as the existing rulebook does not provide for the post of CEO. The proposal comes after the arrest of eight accused in the alleged embezzlement case and the resignation of two trustees. Trustee Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swami has said the resignations will be discussed during the July 11 meeting.Also Read: ₹5 lakh fine if Ram temple donation case accused represented: Ayodhya lawyers' body to members"> ₹5 lakh fine if Ram temple donation case accused represented: Ayodhya lawyers' body to membersIf the resignations are accepted, three trustee positions will become vacant, including one that has remained unfilled since the death of trustee Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra.The developments come days after Champat Rai and Anil Mishra tendered their resignations from the temple trust amid a mounting row over the allegations of irregularities in the Ram Temple donation collections.Rai was the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and Anil Mishra was a prominent member. So far, eight men — including an aide of Rai and two relatives of Mishra — were arrested in the case and nearly ₹80 lakh in cash were recovered from their homes.Also Read: Ram Temple donation row: Ayodhya police zeroes in on assets of eight jailed suspectsThe controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore were siphoned off from temple offerings. On June 13, the state government set up a special investigation team at the request of the temple trust.