New DelhiI: Amid growing national outrage over a high-profile donation theft at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, a major undercover sting operation by the Times Now Special Investigation Team has exposed severe operational lapses, compromised security protocols, and a lack of financial accountability within the trust’s inner workings.
The investigation, codenamed ‘Operation Chanda Chori,’ reveals that despite public assertions of a cleanup, backroom operations at the trust guest house continue to bypass standard legal and financial checks, opening the door for untraceable transactions involving precious metals.
Key Revelations from ‘Operation Chanda Chori’
Posing as wealthy donors from Kanpur, the Times Now S.I.T gained access to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust guest house. Armed with hidden cameras, carrying fake gold jewelry, the undercover team exposed seven critical operational vulnerabilities:
Shadow Leadership
Despite offering his resignation and staying out of the public eye, General Secretary Champat Rai remains actively in charge, running operations and holding internal meetings from the guest house alongside close aide Anil Mishra.
Bypassing Financial Paper Trails
Trust officials actively accepted gold donations without demanding original purchase bills, informing undercover reporters that a ‘duplicate bill’ or makeshift paperwork would suffice.
Forced Zero-Accountability Clauses
Devotees donating gold were actively persuaded to register their items as a standard ‘donation’ without official documentation. Crucially, the trust demanded a written assurance stripping the donor of any legal right to question the ultimate fate or usage of their gold.
Compromised Surveillance
Close aides of the trust leadership openly assured the undercover team that CCTV cameras and surveillance footage at the venue ‘can be managed’ to bypass public or legal scrutiny.
Stakeholder Responses & Political Fallout
The broadcast of the sting operation has sent immediate shockwaves through national political circles, triggering a fierce war of words between the ruling administration and the opposition.
Opposition leaders have demanded an immediate, independent inquiry, alleging that the local administration is deliberately giving a ‘long rope’ to the management and shielding the ‘big fish’ orchestrating the embezzlement.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has come out in defence of the embattled General Secretary, stating that there is ‘no need to make a big issue’ out of Rai’s role in the trust. Meanwhile, trust members, including Dinendra Das, have assured the public that anyone legally found guilty of mismanaging or siphoning funds will face strict punishment.
-Based on Press Release
