IIT alumnus Jagdish Aphale appointed secretary of Ayodhya Ram Temple trust

Ayodhya Ram Temple and its Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have been in the limelight since the alleged theft of donations offered at the Ram temple surfaced in the first week of June. File. | Photo Credit: Sunalini Mathew The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed Jagdish Aphale as the secretary to oversee the daily administration, sources said. The appointment will be formally sanctioned at the trust’s executive meeting on September 2, 2026.A resident of Pune, Mr. Aphale is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering and an MTech from IIT Bombay. He has been employed by various multinational corporations, including roles in Europe and the United States, before returning to India post-retirement.After the 2019 Supreme Court ruling on the Ram Temple dispute and the commencement of the temple construction, he was appointed as the honorary project manager. Since then, he has been residing at the Teerth Kshetra Bhavan in Ayodhya.The Ayodhya Ram Temple and its Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have been in the limelight since the embezzlement of donations offered at the temple was reported in the first week of June. Since then, eight people have been arrested in connection with the crimes.Last month, the general secretary of the trust, Champat Rai, and member Anil Mishra resigned following the uproar over the temple donation embezzlement case.Earlier this month, the trust also invited applications for the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the administration and management of the temple. Published - July 30, 2026 11:52 am IST