IAF Veteran, Businessman, Lawyer, RSS Worker: Meet Ram Temple Trust’s New Leadership

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has undertaken a major leadership overhaul, appointing a retired Air Marshal as its first chief executive officer (CEO) and inducting three new trustees as it moves towards a more professional administrative structure amid allegations of irregularities in temple donation collections.

At two meetings held on Wednesday, the trust appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as CEO for a three-year term, as reported earlier by Hindustan Times. It also elevated incumbent treasurer Govind Dev Giri to the position of full-time general secretary and appointed Delhi-based businessman Mahesh Bhagchandka as the new treasurer.

The restructuring comes weeks after former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned amid controversy over the alleged diversion of temple donations. The trust has since sought to introduce a professional management system covering security, logistics, finances and the day-to-day functioning of the Ram Temple.

Jeetendra Mishra: IAF veteran and Operation Sindoor planner

Mishra, the trust’s first CEO, is a former fighter combat leader and experimental test pilot who retired on April 30 as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Air Command.

He was also among the senior planners of Operation Sindoor and received a distinguished service medal for his role during the four-day military confrontation with Pakistan last year.

A native of Bhopatpura village in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, Mishra will oversee the trust’s day-to-day operations in his new role.

His appointment represents a significant shift from a predominantly trustee-led model towards professional management. His responsibilities are expected to include security, logistics, crowd management and oversight of the trust’s multi-crore financial operations.

Mahesh Bhagchandka named treasurer

Mahesh Bhagchandka, founder and chairman of the M2K Group, has been appointed the trust’s new treasurer, replacing Giri, who had held the post since the trust was established.

The Delhi-based businessman also heads the Ashok Singhal Foundation and is related to former Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Ashok Singhal.

VHP international president Alok Kumar welcomed Bhagchandka’s appointment, describing him as a “frontline soldier” of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

As treasurer, Bhagchandka will oversee the financial affairs of the trust, including the management of donations linked to the construction and administration of the Ram Temple.

Madan Mohan Pandey joins trust

The trust has also inducted Madan Mohan Pandey, former additional advocate general of Uttar Pradesh, as a new member.

The 74-year-old Ayodhya-based lawyer represented Ram Lalla Virajman and the late Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans Das in the Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute.

Pandey was involved in the legal battle from the early 1990s until the Supreme Court delivered its landmark verdict in 2019.

Nirmala Yadav becomes first woman trustee

Nirmala Yadav, former principal of PG College in Shikohabad and a longtime Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker, is the third new member inducted into the trust.

Her appointment was welcomed with celebrations in Firozabad and at her maternal home in Awagarh, Etah.

Yadav is currently vice-president of the Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh and is the first woman to join the body overseeing and managing the Ram Temple.

Why was the Ram Temple Trust restructured?

The leadership changes come against the backdrop of allegations that temple donations were siphoned off.

The controversy erupted on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan “Pawan” Pandey alleged that between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore in temple offerings had been diverted. The Uttar Pradesh government constituted an SIT on June 13 to investigate the allegations.

An FIR was registered on June 25 against eight named accused and unidentified others under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

All eight named accused — Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Manish Yadav, Subhash Srivastava, Avinash Shukla, Rama Shankar Mishra and Karunesh Pandey — were arrested the following day. Investigators said nearly ₹80 lakh was recovered from their residences.

SIT flags ‘gross lapses’ but clears top leadership

A second SIT was constituted in July after the Supreme Court directed an investigation headed by an IPS officer.

The first SIT submitted its final report on August 17, flagging “gross lapses” in the trust’s functioning. The report also questioned the role of the State Bank of India and criticised the lack of professional financial management within the trust.

However, the investigation found no evidence of financial impropriety involving the trust’s top leadership.

The latest leadership overhaul appears aimed at addressing the administrative shortcomings identified by investigators while strengthening professional oversight of the temple’s rapidly expanding operations and finances.