Claim
Champat Rai has not been convicted by any court, so calling him a dacoit is wrong.
“चंपत राय डकैत क्या साबित हो गया सब कुछ? नहीं कोर्ट में कन्विक हो गया। इसलिए कह रहा हूं गलत है आपका ख्याल”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
The verifiable core of the anchor's statement — that Champat Rai has not been convicted by any court — is correct as of 2026-07-02. His only major criminal prosecution, the Babri demolition conspiracy case, ended in acquittal by a special CBI court in September 2020. In the June 2026 Ram Mandir donation embezzlement matter, an SIT was probing and eight others were booked in the FIR; Rai had his statement recorded and resigned on moral grounds but was not an accused and faced no conviction. Whether calling him a 'dacoit' is 'wrong' is opinion, but the factual premise underpinning it is accurate, though it omits that he was under active investigation at the time.
Evidence
- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/all-32-accused-in-babri-case-acquitted-149133 Special CBI court acquitted all 32 accused, including Champat Rai, in the Babri Masjid demolition conspiracy case in September 2020 — his most prominent criminal case ended in acquittal, not conviction. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champat_Rai Biography confirms Rai was chargesheeted by the CBI over the 1992 demolition but acquitted in 2020; lists no criminal conviction by any court. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/top-headlines/ayodhya-police-record-champat-rais-statement As of late June 2026, in the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement probe, police had only recorded Rai's statement; the FIR booked eight other persons and Rai was not an accused, let alone convicted. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.indiatvnews.com/uttar-pradesh/champat-rai-speaks-out-here-is-what-he-told-police-in-ram-temple-donation-theft-case-2026-06-30-1046704 Rai was questioned by the SIT and resigned citing moral responsibility, but had not been arrested, charged, or convicted in the donation theft case as of the broadcast date. ✓ reachable · archived