Ram Mandir Trust Appoints First CEO After Embezzlement Scandal

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has restructured its leadership and appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first Chief Executive Officer. Mishra, a former head of the Western Air Command, was selected from over 5,500 applicants using an AI-assisted screening process. This overhaul follows a donation embezzlement scandal that resulted in eight arrests and the resignation of general secretary Champat Rai.

Alongside the CEO appointment, the trust named Govinddev Giri Maharaj as general secretary and Mahesh Bhagchandka as treasurer, while adding Madan Mohan Pandey, Bhagchandka, and Nirmala Yadav as trustees. The trust is now establishing a dedicated administrative team of at least seven members to support Mishra in areas such as finance, security, and engineering. Candidates for these roles will be drawn from a shortlist of 15 finalists from the CEO selection process, including retired IAS and IPS officers.

Opposition leaders have criticized the move. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party is controlling the selections and argued a religious scholar should lead the trust. Congress leader Ajay Rai claimed the CEO position was created to legalise the theft of offerings. Mishra described the appointment as a blessing from Lord Ram following 43 years of service in the Air Force.