Ram Temple Trust Appoints First CEO and New Trustees Amid Donation Controversy

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday. The appointment is part of a broader leadership restructuring that includes the induction of three new trustees: businessman Mahesh Bhagchandka, advocate Madan Mohan Pandey, and Dr. Nirmala Yadav. Dr. Yadav is the first woman to serve as a member of the Trust. Additionally, Govind Dev Giri, the former treasurer, has been elevated to the role of full-time general secretary, while Mahesh Bhagchandka will take over as the new treasurer.

These changes follow a controversy involving allegations of donation theft and embezzlement at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The vacancies on the board were created by the death of trustee Vimlendra Pratap Mishra and the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra. Reports indicate that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe found instances of counting staff stealing cash during the donation process. While center-right sources frame the restructuring as a shift toward professional corporate oversight for security and finances, left-leaning coverage emphasizes the embezzlement scandal and the specific findings of the SIT report regarding lapses by the Trust and the State Bank of India.

Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Air Command and was a senior planner for Operation Sindoor, a military confrontation with Pakistan in 2025. He was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for his service. In interviews, Mishra stated that his military background in discipline and integrity would assist him in his new role, noting that the organization should learn lessons from the past without letting them become a burden.

Political reactions to the appointments have been divided. The BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad welcomed the new leadership, with the BJP stressing that the Trust operates independently. Conversely, the Samajwadi Party questioned why lower-level employees arrested in the donation case remain in jail while senior officials have not faced similar consequences.