Ram Temple Trust Overhaul After Donation Theft, Full-Time CEO to Lead Management

Who will lead the temple will be decided at a later date, sources said.

Three new members have also been added to strengthen the trust. They are Madan Mohan Pandey from Ayodhya, Mahesh Bhagchandka from Delhi and Nirmala Yadav from Shikohabad.

The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will appoint the first full-time CEO of the temple and has prepared a shortlist of three top candidates from an extensive list of 5,585 applicants.

Eight people linked to the counting of donation money have been arrested. Trust general secretary Champat Rai had to resign after the theft triggered a massive political row. He later told the special investigation team that lax security measures at the bank had led to the theft.

Following the legal action and Rai's resignation, the trust has been discussing measures to reinforce the temple's management. It convened a meeting on Wednesday to consider the proposed changes.

Kamalnayan Das, who is part of the trust's religious affairs committee, said ahead of the meeting that the priority was the smooth functioning of the temple.

"I have no knowledge about who will be made the CEO. My wish is that the affairs of the temple should run smoothly," he told PTI.

As part of the broader overhaul, trust members are also expected to discuss the appointment of a spokesperson and amendments to the trust deed.

The search panel for the CEO was headed by retired judge Pramod Kohli and included retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former scientist Suresh Haware.

A trust official told the news agency that "three highly qualified professionals" had been recommended. The candidates were evaluated on parameters including institutional leadership, management expertise, integrity and the vision required to head an institution of national and international significance.

They were assessed through a 600-mark evaluation process. Final interviews of 16 candidates were held in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12.

The proposed appointment of a full-time CEO, along with the addition of three members, a possible spokesperson and amendments to the trust deed, marks a significant management overhaul following the donation theft, arrests and resignation of Champat Rai.