Claim
Champat Rai initially did not want to hand the culprits over to police and argued they should be forgiven and moved to other work since the money had been recovered.
“पर वह अपने लोगों को पुलिस के हवाले नहीं करना चाहते थे। उन्होंने कहा... अगर पुलिस में केस कर दिया तो इन लोगों की जिंदगी खराब हो जाएगी। अपने ही लोग हैं। पैसा मिल गया। अब इन लोगों को माफ कर देना चाहिए।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
Multiple Indian outlets confirm the substance of the claim. India TV's reporting states almost verbatim that Champat Rai was unwilling to hand the matter to police, argued the accused's 'careers would be spoiled,' and that since the money had been recovered they 'should be pardoned' and 'assigned some other work.' This is corroborated by independent reporting (Amar Ujala) that he went to file an FIR but returned after a phone call without lodging a complaint, and by the documented sequence in which ~Rs 80 lakh was recovered internally before an FIR was registered only after public pressure. No fact-checker has disputed the account. Confidence is high but not maximal because the exact wording rests largely on reported/attributed statements about a private stance rather than an on-record quote from Champat Rai himself.
Evidence
- https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/opinion-the-full-story-of-loot-in-ram-mandir-who-did-it-how-much-was-looted-where-has-the-jewellery-gone-2026-07-01-1046791 India TV report states: 'Champat Rai... was still unwilling to hand over the matter to the police... he said, if the case was handed over to the police, their careers would be spoiled. His argument was that, now that the money has been recovered, these men should be pardoned, and they should be assigned some other work' — a near-verbatim match to the on-air claim. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.amarujala.com/photo-gallery/uttar-pradesh/ayodhya/ram-mandir-donation-scam-champat-rai-had-arrived-to-lodge-an-fir-but-returned-after-a-phone-call-2026-07-01 Amar Ujala reports the theft was known to the trust/police on 27 May and that Champat Rai went to the police station to file an FIR but returned after a phone call without lodging a written complaint — independent corroboration of his reluctance to formally involve police. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.aajtak.in/india/news/story/ram-mandir-donation-theft-investigation-fund-recovery-champat-rai-statement-ntcpvp-rpti-2589703-2026-06-29 Aaj Tak reports trust officials with police recovered ~Rs 58 lakh cash on 5 June and accused returned remaining money via bank accounts by 8 June — confirming money was recovered before any FIR, the premise of Rai's forgiveness argument. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/ayodhya-police-record-champat-rais-statement-in-ram-temple-donation-embezzlement-probe Confirms the broader factual frame: ~Rs 80 lakh recovered from accused, SIT formed 13 June, FIR registered 25 June, eight arrested, and Rai's statement recorded — an FIR followed only after public pressure, consistent with initial internal handling. ✓ reachable · archived