New Delhi: In a major investigative breakthrough, Times Now has broadcast 3-part Special Investigation Team exposé, Operation ‘Chanda Chori’. The investigation exposed how close aides of the trust bosses offered to bypass CCTV, and also revealed how the donation process worked, where gold changes hands with no bill, no paper trail, and no accountability.
The explosive sting operation features an on-camera whistle-blower, a close aide to Supreme Court-appointed Ram Mandir Trustee Mahant Dinendra Das, who unmasks a highly organised racket siphoning off gold, silver, and material donations meant for the historic temple.
The investigation names high-profile administrative insiders and uncovers a systematic ‘commission culture’ embedded within the financial management of the trust.
The Mastermind and the Karnataka Gold Route
The whistleblower identifies an individual named Gopal Rao, reportedly brought in from Karnataka, as the central mastermind who established the theft network. According to the whistle-blower, Rao explicitly ‘taught employees how to steal’ and subsequently roped in his nephew and an estimated 200 external handlers to run the operation.
The S.I.T. investigation reveals a highly sophisticated modus operandi designed to siphon temple gold and silver under the guise of processing:
The Voucher Loophole: Gold and silver offerings were packed into sacks and transported via trains to Karnataka for melting, completely bypassing local jewellers in Ayodhya, Faizabad, or Lucknow. Handlers deliberately manipulated transportation logs. For example, transporting 26 kg of gold while carrying an official voucher for only 25 kg. If intercepted, the voucher covered the bulk, and if undetected, the extra gold was immediately pocketed.
Chartered Flights: While the temple’s heavy precious metals were sent by rail, the masterminds travelled via commercial and chartered flights, with Rao reportedly making nearly 50 air trips in a single year funded by the operation.
Institutional Bribery and Diversion of Goods
The sting further alleges that systemic corruption has corrupted day-to-day operations, with the aide stating bluntly on camera that “everyone gets a commission” paid out on a monthly schedule.
Furthermore, the investigation uncovered the blatant misappropriation of material donations. A massive consignment consisting of two truckloads of winter jackets, sent by a donor in Mumbai for low-income temple staff, was allegedly hijacked. Only 40 jackets reached the workers; the remaining bulk of the shipment was reportedly diverted to the private residence of senior trust member Anil Mishra and illegally sold into the commercial market.
Suppression of Honest Trustees
To ensure the racket continued without interference, the syndicate actively isolated and blinded key members of the trust. The whistle-blower revealed that communication channels were intentionally cut to keep Supreme Court-appointed trustees, including Mahant Dinendra Das, completely in the dark.
As Mahant Dinendra Das grew highly active over the last seven to eight months, the syndicate reportedly panicked. The investigation details how handlers intentionally created administrative hurdles and logistical chaos to block his site visits and prevent him from meeting visiting Chief Ministers, fearing that direct oversight would collapse their operation.
The Friday broadcast followed up on the initial revelations made in Op ‘Chanda Chori’, which revealed how despite public assertions of a cleanup, backroom operations at the trust guest house continue to bypass standard legal and financial checks, opening the door for untraceable transactions involving precious metals. Posing as wealthy donors from Kanpur, the Times Now S.I.T gained access to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust guest house. Armed with hidden cameras, carrying fake gold jewelry, the undercover team exposed seven critical operational vulnerabilities.
– Shadow Leadership
Despite offering his resignation and staying out of the public eye, General Secretary Champat Rai remains actively in charge, running operations and holding internal meetings from the guest house alongside close aide Anil Mishra.
– Bypassing Financial Paper Trails
Trust officials actively accepted gold donations without demanding original purchase bills, informing undercover reporters that a ‘duplicate bill’ or makeshift paperwork would suffice.
– Forced Zero-Accountability Clauses
Devotees donating gold were actively persuaded to register their items as a standard ‘donation’ without official documentation. Crucially, the trust demanded a written assurance stripping the donor of any legal right to question the ultimate fate or usage of their gold.
– Compromised Surveillance
Close aides of the trust leadership openly assured the undercover team that CCTV cameras and surveillance footage at the venue ‘can be managed’ to bypass public or legal scrutiny.
Demands for Accountability
With senior administrative figures like General Secretary Champat Rai, Treasurer Govind Giri, and Trustee Anil Mishra under intense scrutiny for negligence, Times Now’s Operation ‘Chanda Chori’ has added credence to the growing calls for a complete clean-up in the Ram Mandir trust and the donation system.