The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed IIT Bombay alumnus Jagdish Aphale as its first secretary as part of a major administrative restructuring following the recent donation theft controversy.
The appointment was approved on Wednesday and is expected to be formally ratified during the Trust’s executive meeting on September 2. The newly created post is aimed at strengthening the day-to-day administration of the Ram Temple as its operations continue to expand.
New administrative role after restructuring
The secretary’s position has been introduced to improve the Trust’s administrative functioning. Aphale, an engineer who supervised the construction of the Ram Temple, will report to interim general secretary Krishna Mohan.
Although he will serve as an office bearer, Aphale will not become a member of the Trust. The chief executive officer, whose appointment is still pending, will also function as an office bearer without being inducted as a Trust member.
Krishna Mohan had earlier confirmed that Aphale’s name was proposed for the role. The proposal was first placed before the Trust during its July 6 meeting after the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra were accepted.
The Trust had also delayed the appointment of its first CEO by a month, giving the screening committee additional time to evaluate three shortlisted candidates from more than 5,200 applications.
Who is Jagdish Aphale?
A resident of Pune, Jagdish Aphale has long been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering and an MTech from IIT Bombay.
Before returning to India after retirement, Aphale worked with several multinational companies, including assignments in Europe and the United States. Since the Ram Temple construction began, he has been serving as the honorary project engineer and has been staying at the Teerth Kshetra Bhavan in Ayodhya.
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The Trust has also made him a joint signatory for financial transactions. “For banking purposes, the joint signatories are Aphale and me. The board of trustees has approved it,” interim general secretary Krishan Mohan told The Times of India.
Appointment follows donation theft controversy
The appointment comes weeks after the Trust announced structural changes in the wake of the alleged donation embezzlement case.
The controversy surfaced in early June after alleged discrepancies were detected during the counting of donations received at the Ram Temple. Following the Trust’s recommendation, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter.
During the probe, the SIT reportedly found prima facie evidence of financial irregularities, leading to the registration of an FIR and the arrest of eight people associated with the temple’s donation-counting operations.
The controversy also resulted in leadership changes within the Trust, with Champat Rai stepping down as general secretary, Anil Mishra resigning as trustee, and special invitee Gopal Rao being removed from his role.
FAQs
Who is Jagdish Aphale?
Jagdish Aphale is an IIT Bombay alumnus and engineer who supervised the construction of the Ram Temple. He has now been appointed as the Trust’s first secretary.
Why did the Ram Temple Trust create the secretary’s post?
The Trust created the position as part of an administrative restructuring to strengthen daily operations and improve accountability following the donation theft controversy.
