Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 2 (ANI): Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (retd), who headed the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, was appointed on Wednesday as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The retired Air Marshal Mishra said he considered the opportunity a blessing of Lord Ram and pledged to serve the temple and devotees with the experience gained during his decades-long service in the Indian Air Force.
In his first interview after being appointed CEO, Air Marshal Mishra said he was grateful to the selection committee, the Trust and Lord Ram for entrusting him with the responsibility.
"I consider this a great fortune that they chose me from so many candidates. I also consider this the blessings of Lord Ram that after 43 years of service to the nation in the Air Force, He has given me the opportunity to serve Sri Ram Mandir and Sri Ram bhakts," he told ANI.
"As I said, I would like to thank the selection committee, Sri Ram Mandir Trust and Lord Ram for having chosen me for this responsibility. I pray to God to grant me the capability so that I can shoulder it well," he added.
The appointment was announced after today's meeting of the Trust's trustees in Ayodhya. Trust interim general secretary Krishna Mohan said a discussion was held on the appointment and the decision was taken to name Air Marshal Mishra as the CEO.
"A discussion was held, and it was decided that Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (retd) will be the CEO (of the Trust)...During Operation Sindoor, the Air Force played a significant role and he was the Commander-in-Chief during the Operation," Krishna Mohan said.
The Trust's interim general secretary said Mishra was appointed on the recommendation of the committee constituted to select the first CEO. It said he has 39 years of experience in various branches of the Indian Air Force, extensive leadership experience and has been awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal.
The interim general secretary also said that Operation Sindoor was conducted under his leadership and guidance.
The search committee submitted its final report on Tuesday after a rigorous selection process in which more than 5,000 applications were received for the post.
The three-member search committee comprised retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and former scientist Suresh Haware. The committee secretary was retired Lieutenant General Sameer Panda.
The report was submitted at a high-level meeting attended by Trust members, including Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj, Mahant Dinendra Das, Acting General Secretary Krishna Mohan and Ayodhya District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi.
Swami Govind Dev Giri had earlier said that the committee's report would be considered at Wednesday's meeting.
Along with the appointment of its first CEO, the Trust also appointed three new trustees -- Delhi-based businessman and social worker Mahesh Bhagchandka, Ayodhya-based advocate Madan Mohan Pandey and Shikohabad-based academic Dr Nirmala Yadav.
Bajrang Lal Bagra, international general secretary of the VHP, welcomed the appointments and said the move would strengthen the management of the Trust.
"To ensure that the management is made even better, the long-pending work of having a CEO was done. The vacant positions of three trustees were filled. So, we have new trustees as well as a CEO," Bagra told reporters.
However, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel criticised the appointment of the retired Air Force officer, claiming that the government does not trust its own officers and employees.
"When exam papers get leaked, they are sent via the Army; the government does not trust its own officers and employees. Secondly, a retired Army officer has been appointed CEO to manage the accounts of the offerings and oversee the Ram Mandir. This implies that the government and PM Modi no longer trust people from the BJP, RSS, and VHP because they were caught red-handed stealing. No matter how hard they try to suppress the matter, they have certainly hurt the faith of the people of the country," Baghel said.
While Congress MP Kumari Selja said, "I don't know about others but the CEO is a (retired) Air Marshal. He was dedicated to protecting the nation. We hope that he will do good work. But we don't know the background of the others. We saw what happened earlier. There was theft right under their nose, before the Govt. There has been no answer to that so far. There was a so-called SIT. We still don't know where the crores of rupees went. It must have gone to just one place."
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shahnawaz Hussain congratulated Mishra on his appointment. "I extend my heartiest congratulations to Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra (Retd.). He has become the first CEO of the Ram Mandir. It is hoped that he will perform his duties excellently," Hussain told ANI.
The Trust's meeting also discussed several administrative and financial matters, including approval of its annual accounts for 2025-26, progress in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged financial irregularities, developments before the Supreme Court and measures to reduce human intervention in the counting of cash donations.
The Trust welcomed the Supreme Court's order expanding the scope of the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities, both in terms of the period covered and the subjects under investigation. It said the move would help establish the truth and resolve confusion among the public.
The Trust also discussed proposals to reduce manual intervention in counting cash donations. Proposals submitted by two banks and the Indian Institute of Technology are being evaluated for introducing technological assistance in the process.
The annual accounts for 2025-26 were also approved at the meeting. According to the accounts, the Trust recorded a total income of Rs 237 crore and expenditure of Rs 91 crore during the year, while Rs 425 crore was spent on construction-related works.
The funds available with the Trust as of March 31, 2026, stood at Rs 9,882 crore.
The newly appointed trustees bring diverse professional backgrounds to the Trust.
Further, one of the appointed trustees, Mahesh Bhagchandka, 68, is a businessman and social worker based in New Delhi and the author of 'Hindutva Ke Purodha'. He participated in the bhoomi pujan and pran pratishtha ceremonies of the Ram temple and has been associated with the installation of Ram Stambhs at 292 pilgrimage sites linked to the Shri Ram Van Gaman Yatra. He is also a member of the executive committee of the World Hindu Economic Forum.
Madan Mohan Pandey, 74, is a law graduate and advocate from Ayodhya Cantt. He represented Shri Ram Lalla Virajman and Mahant Shri Ramchandra Paramhans Das Ji in the Ram Janmabhoomi case before the High Court and Supreme Court from 1990 to 2019. He also served as Additional Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh for six years.
Dr Nirmala Yadav, 66, holds postgraduate degrees in Hindi and Sanskrit and a PhD. A resident of Shikohabad, she served as a college principal for 19 years before retirement. She has experience in evaluating PhD theses and MA answer scripts and served as a member of a university executive council for 15 years.
Rajeev Yadav, nephew of Dr Nirmala Yadav - one of three new trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, told ANI, "Right from the beginning, she and her entire family have done important work in the Sangh. It is a matter of pride for the entire state, the entire district. We are all overjoyed."
The Trust also decided that Swami Govind Dev Giri will serve as the new General Secretary, while Mahesh Bhagchandka will take charge as Treasurer.
The Trust thanked Krishna Mohan for successfully handling the Mahamantri's responsibilities over the past two months.
The appointment of the first CEO and the induction of new trustees come amid an ongoing investigation into an alleged multi-lakh-rupee donation scam involving allegations of systematic theft of offerings by temple staff and bank employees.
Eight individuals -- Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu -- have been arrested in connection with the case and sent to judicial remand.
The FIR was registered on June 25 at the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station following a complaint filed by Krishanmohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The case remains under investigation. (ANI)
Operation Sindoor Commander: Air Marshal (retd.) Jeetendra Mishra named first CEO of Ram Temple Trust; says "great fortune" to serve
