{
  "id": 1681166,
  "title": "Ram Mandir donation case: Former general secretary Champat Rai gets clean chit from SIT; probe underway",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/ram-mandir-donation-case-former-general-secretary-champat-rai-gets",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T09:20:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ram-mandir-donation-case-former-general-secretary-champat-rai-gets-clean-chit-from-sit-probe-underway-11787043501308.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Ayodhya Ram Temple official Champat Rai has been cleared by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the alleged theft of donations to the temple, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The final report does not list Rai or Anil Mishra, a former member of the trust, who both resigned in June as an investigation into the alleged fund theft was ongoing. The first SIT, headed by Vijay Vishwas Pant, was established under the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while a second SIT under Supreme Court supervision continues the investigation. The initial report was submitted to the government on June 23, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) in Ayodhya. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed opposition allegations that the government was unwilling to discuss the Ram Mandir issue during the Monsoon Session, stating that while they were prepared to discuss the matter, not all topics could be addressed simultaneously.",
  "summary": "Both Rai and Mishra had resigned from their posts in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in June as a probe was going on regarding alleged theft of funds the temple received in donations.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}