Ram Temple Trust to appoint CEO: Panel recommends 3 names after donation theft row

Three-member panel recommends three names for CEO of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after embezzlement reports in May. Panel of Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen Chaturvedi, Dr Haware got 5585 applications, shortlisted 108 over 470 marks, final 3 after Ayodhya interviews.

Updated : Sep 02, 2026, 09:32 AM IST

The three-member panel tasked with appointing the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust recommended three names for the post in its report submitted to the trust on Tuesday.

The temple trust will most likely take the final decision on Wednesday, said trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj.

The process for the CEO's appointment began on July 6 after reports of embezzlement of donations, which came to light in May, created a stir. The appointment of a professional CEO is one of the ways in which the temple trust hopes to regain the confidence of people.

The three-member selection committee comprised retired Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retd) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Haware. "We can say with confidence that this selection process was entirely transparent and fair. The trust will now decide which of these three individuals will serve as the CEO," Justice Kohli told the media.

Between July 11 and 18, the selection panel received 5,585 applications, he said. A Google Form of 600 marks was created and sent to all 5,585 applicants, but only 3,577 of them responded. "On further categorisation, 108 individuals fell into that specific category — those who scored 470 marks or above. We conducted virtual interactions via video conferencing with these 108 individuals," he said.

From that group, 17 were shortlisted into Grade A, B and C based on performance and approach. Of them, 16 turned up for interviews in Ayodhya, before the final three were picked.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet in two sittings. The first is scheduled from 2 pm to 3 pm and the second from 4 pm to 6 pm, with a 12-point agenda.

Changes in the deed are likely to incorporate new rules, regulations and powers of the CEO. This will be the first such amendment since the creation of the Trust on February 5, 2020, said sources. The amendment is also likely to create a legal window for the re-entry of Champat Rai in the Trust