Op Sindoor veteran is new Ram Mandir Trust CEO

The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra has named Jeetendra Mishra, a retired Air Marshal, as the first CEO of the Trust. The move follows the row over alleged theft of offerings, leading to increased scrutiny of the Trust’s financial management.

Eight accused have been arrested in the case, while three officials, including former Trust general secretary Champat Rai, have stepped down from their posts. The other two in the running for the CEO post were Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Vishwas Rao and Shruti Bhardawaj.

"Jeetendra Mishra played a significant role during Operation Sindoor. He brought in discipline and management, which is required at this time. Most importantly, he will restore the trust of Ram bhakts. He has managed big operations and is best suited for the role.” Suresh Haware, member of the selection committee, told The Indian Express.

Haware is a retired nuclear scientist who spent 27 years with the Department of Atomic Energy, and has headed the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi. The other two members of three-member selection panel are retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli and retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi The temple trust has also inducted three new trustees on Wednesday.

Sources said the names include: Govind Dev Giri, treasurer of Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshtra Trust will be the new general secretary of the Trust, while Mahesh Bhagchandka would be new treasurer. The vacancies arose after the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra following recent allegations of theft of donations at the Ram Temple.

The third vacancy arose following the death of Vimlendra Pratap Mishra, scion of Ayodhya’s erstwhile royal family, last year. Sources said Bhagchandka is also a trustee of the Ashok Singhal Foundation and has authored a book on the late RSS leader.

He has been involved in social work at Karyasewak Puram every year, including the annual distribution of bicycles to people with disabilities and support for health camps. Pandey, sources said, is an advocate and is associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

He had played a significant role in contesting the Ram Janmabhoomi case in the local courts before it went to the Supreme Court. The third person is Dr Nirmala Yadav, a retired teacher. Sources said that of the finalised names, caste representation would also appear to have been a consideration, with the three-member addition including a Brahmin associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi case and a Yadav from the OBC community.

In a post on X, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra said, "The comprehensive, transparent, and technology-enabled process for selecting the Chief Executive Officer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has been completed… After reviewing 5,585 applications, the selection committee held detailed discussions with 16 candidates.

Today, the committee submitted the final panel of three highly qualified candidates to the Trust, which will make the final decision and official announcement." The search committee secretary Sameer Panda said: “Based on its comprehensive evaluation, the Search Committee has recommended a panel of three highly qualified professionals to the Ram Janmbhoom Trust.

These candidates represent the highest calibre of institutional leadership, management expertise, integrity and vision required to serve as Chief Executive Officer of an institution of national and international significance.” The committee said the selection process was conducted through a multi-tiered evaluation combining AI-enabled technology with manual assessment.

According to a statement from the panel, teams worked simultaneously across Delhi-NCR, Pune and Sambalpur to screen and shortlist candidates in a “rigorous” and “transparent” process.