Ram Mandir trust treasurer says he won't quit

Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, on Tuesday conceded that there were lapses in supervision at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but said he would not step down over the alleged theft of donations as he did not consider himself to be at fault personally.

Noting that those arrested in the case are all employees of the State Bank of India, he told reporters here that the bank officials should have checked their credentials and should have been more vigilant.

Asked about the quantum of the alleged theft, he said his personal estimate was that it could be around Rs 3 crore, but it should not be taken as the official or authentic figure.

He was satisfied with the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe as well as the Supreme Court's monitoring of the matter, he said.

Reports claiming that he had decided to quit were "malicious", Giri Maharaj said.

"I never said I will resign. I am a follower of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and I am not one of those who run away. When the time demands that I should fight, it is not in our dharma to quit the field," he said. -- PTI