Air Marshal (retd.) Jeetendra Mishra appointed first CEO of Ram Temple trust

Air Marshal (retd.) Jeetendra Mishra, who headed the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, was appointed the first CEO of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday (September 2, 2026), officials said.

Air Marshal (retd.) Mishra’s name was selected from a shortlist of three candidates picked from 5,585 applications.

Air Marshal Mishra (retd.) told The Hindu that he had not been informed about the selection beforehand and only learned about it through the news.

The appointment comes in the wake of the controversy over the alleged embezzlement of temple donations that led to the arrest of eight people and the resignation of Champat Rai as general secretary.

The search committee was headed by retired Justice Pramod Kohli and comprised retired Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former scientist Suresh Haware. It submitted its final report to Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri on Tuesday (September 1, 2026).

Committee secretary Sameer Panda said the panel had recommended “three highly qualified professionals” after assessing their leadership, management expertise, integrity and vision.

(With inputs from PTI)