Overview
- The trust accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra at a meeting on Monday, and named trustee Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary.
- A state Special Investigation Team’s preliminary probe found repeated instances of employees concealing cash during counting, citing around 70 suspicious episodes recorded on CCTV between April 27 and June 5 and serious lapses in frisking, baggage control and supervision.
- Police have arrested eight people linked to donation handling and recovered cash from some accused, with the SIT noting recovered sums of about Rs 78.9 lakh while investigators continue wider financial scrutiny.
- The trust formed a three-member committee to hire a chief executive officer, displayed and certified non-cash offerings as recorded, and pledged an overhaul and digitisation of donation-management procedures to prevent future losses.
- The controversy has sparked political demands for independent scrutiny, shaken devotees’ confidence and reduced local pilgrim activity, and the trust will review the SIT’s final report and further reforms at its July 22 meeting.