On the eve of the emergency meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust over the Ram Temple offering theft case, the Trust’s Treasurer, Swami Govind Dev Giri, has penned an emotional two-page letter to Ram bhakts.
In his letter dated July 5, the saint has outlined 10 points about the incident, his innocence, and the steps that should be taken to prevent its recurrence.
The Trust has called an emergency meeting in Ayodhya at 3 pm on Monday.
Swami Govind Dev Giri said, “With the ultimate grace of Lord Shri Sitaram Prabhu, a gruelling struggle of nearly five centuries was completed. Through the relentless efforts and sacrifices of saints, sages, and ardent devotees of Lord Ram, a magnificent temple of Lord Ram Lalla was erected at the sacred site of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Shri Ayodhya Dham. The consecration of the idol took place, and all the activities, from the flag-hoisting ceremony to the inauguration, were completed with great enthusiasm. This was a highly joyous festival for the devotees of Lord Ram.”
He said, “In such a joyous atmosphere, the unbelievable theft of funds at the Ayodhya temple has shattered the hearts of Ram devotees. While counting the money offered with utmost devotion by millions of devotees in the hundi to Ram Lalla, some people committed the heinous sin of theft. This practice of stealing offerings had been going on for quite some time, and it has also come to light. This is extremely painful and deeply distressing for all Ram devotees. We are deeply hurt, saddened, and ashamed by this. I arrived in Ayodhya on July 5 after completing the pre-scheduled narration of the Shrimad Bhagwat. As the Treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, this humble request of mine is dedicated to all Ram devotees.”
Swami Govind Dev Giri, in his first point, said, “I have never requested or attempted to become a Trustee or Treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Serving Lord Shri Ram in any capacity brings a sense of joy and happiness. My constant prayer is that by God’s grace, everyone’s well-being will be ensured.”
“I visit Ayodhya approximately every month or month and a half for the Trust’s work. I have not yet charged the Trust a single rupee for my airfare or other travel expenses. I feel blessed to perform this work as an unconditional service to Lord Shri Ram.
Besides, as part of the Treasurer’s responsibilities, the audited income and expenditure accounts of the funds deposited since the beginning are safe and can be checked by authorised persons at any time,” he claimed, describing himself as completely innocent.
The Trust treasurer said, “As a Treasurer, it is my duty to keep track of income and expenditure. I am constantly on the move, so our chartered accountant colleagues from our Pune office visit Ayodhya during the last four to five days of each month to review income and expenditure and also provide assistance and necessary guidance to the Trust’s office staff. They continue to do so. It is because of them that I remain confident about my accounts.”
“Since becoming a trustee, I have never accepted any cash or in-kind donations for the temple from anyone. There are two exceptions: my late, elderly sister donated Rs 11,000, and Mrs Neelam Go-Heji donated a one-kilogram silver brick in Pune. Receipts for both were promptly issued. Beyond this, I have never accepted anything from anyone except a cheque.
Expenditure on behalf of the Ram Temple is made directly through the bank. I am not an authorised signatory, so my signature is not valid there. We do not have a chequebook. Payments are never made in cash, but through direct bank transfers,” he added.
He further clarified, “I have never had any connection with the area where the offerings made by devotees of Lord Ram in hundis are counted. I live in Pune. Travelling for the Katha is a continuous process, while counting the offerings is a daily routine. The local trustees have been overseeing this from the beginning. They developed the SOP (jointly prescribed guidelines for the counting process) in collaboration with the State Bank of India. It was shown to me for the first time last month.”
Swami Govind Dev Giri said,”The extent of the unfortunate theft, when it occurred and how it occurred are matters of investigation. This monstrous crime must be thoroughly investigated. The investigation must be impartial. We must trust the investigating agency. The court will do its job. We have faith in the SIT and the police. The guilty will not be spared. Everyone should have complete faith in the investigation and the justice system.”
“We are ardent devotees of Lord Ram, the embodiment of dignity. We stand with the truth. We uphold decorum. We urge the police and investigative agencies to apprehend the culprits. No matter how high-profile the offenders are, they should be given the harshest punishment by the court, regardless of their status,” he demanded.
Lastly, he said, “I humbly request the most respected members of the Trust to ensure that foolproof arrangements are made to ensure utmost vigilance and caution in the future. After consulting experts, a management system should be established to ensure unwavering oversight and complete transparency in the counting of donations. Every penny of donations. Every penny donated by devotees of Lord Shri Ram, in any form, should be accounted for.”
The Trust Treasurer said, “We believe that with the grace of Lord Shri Ram, the clouds of doubt will dissipate and the darkness of crime will be dispelled. In the future, we will endeavour to make our Ram Lalla temple an ideal temple for the world. The stream of devotion to Shri Ram should continue to flow uninterrupted. We must strive to establish Ram Rajya. We will not allow any attempt to tarnish the legacy of Sanatan Dharma and the Ram Temple to succeed. This is our unwavering faith.”