Few individuals have been as closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as Champat Rai. For decades, the 79-year-old worked largely behind the scenes as an RSS pracharak and senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary, helping steer the movement through organisational, legal, and administrative challenges, before taking charge of the temple’s construction and management after the Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict.

Now, barely two-and-a-half years after the Ram temple’s consecration, Mr. Rai finds himself at the centre of controversy, with allegations of corruption with regard to donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJTK) Trust. The investigation has brought unprecedented scrutiny to the project he has overseen since its conception and has transformed Mr. Rai’s own public role from a low-profile organiser to one of the most recognisable faces of the Ram temple project now being brought to account.