Claim
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has given a clean chit to Champat Rai and the entire trust in the offerings theft case.
“इधर केंद्रीय मंत्री नितिन गडकरी ने चढ़ावा चोरी में चंपत राय और पूरे ट्रस्ट को क्लीन चिट दी है।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
No wire agency, fact-checker, or news report attributes any 'clean chit' for Champat Rai or the trust to Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who has no role in the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the broadcast date the trust itself was preparing show-cause notices to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra and an SIT probe (with possible central-agency takeover) was ongoing after both had resigned — the factual opposite of anyone having cleared them. Reported defenders were the VHP and an RSS leader, not Gadkari. The attribution to Gadkari is unsupported and contradicted by the state of the case.
Evidence
- https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/ayodhya/ram-mandir-offering-theft-trust-to-issue-show-cause-notice-to-champat-rai-and-anil-2026-07-02 On the broadcast date (2026-07-02), the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was set to issue SHOW-CAUSE notices to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra and act after their reply — the opposite of a clean chit; no mention of Gadkari. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://theprint.in/politics/ram-mandir-donation-row-vhp-defends-its-v-p-temple-trust-chief-champat-rai-probe-other-trusts-too/2964711/ The VHP — not Nitin Gadkari — is the body reported to have defended trust chief Champat Rai; Gadkari has no role in the trust. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2026/07/02/ram-temple-donation-scam-cbi-probe.html As of 2026-07-02 the case was an active SIT/potential central-agency probe with Champat Rai and Anil Mishra having resigned; no authority had cleared them and Gadkari is not mentioned. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/police-record-statement-of-champat-rai-on-ram-mandir-donation-embezzlement-case20260629105533/ Wire agency ANI reports police recorded Champat Rai's statement in the ongoing embezzlement investigation — no clean chit issued by anyone, and Gadkari is not connected. ✓ reachable · archived