Former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey, one of 16 candidates interviewed for the post of Ram Temple CEO, issued a clarification on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) after remarks he made on a podcast triggered controversy over the selection process. The Temple Trust has been forced to issue a detailed clarification amid calls for a review of the entire process and concern over favoritism flagged by other retired senior officials and applicants.
“I never claimed to be in the top three. I clarified later in this podcast that I didn’t receive this information from any official source, but rather through social media and newspapers. A rumour was also spread that I claimed that the CEO of the Ram Temple, retired Air Marshal Mr. Jitendra Mishra, never came for the interview. This is also completely false and misleading. I simply said that I did not see him there on August 11th, at the time of my interview slot,” Mr. Pandey wrote on X.
Former IPS officer and social activist Amitabh Thakur, an applicant for the post of CEO of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, has raised fresh questions over the selection process. In a letter to the Trust, he referred to the alleged statement by Mr. Pandey on the podcast, in which he reportedly stated that he believed his own selection was almost certain, but that the decision was subsequently changed. “If this statement is found to be correct, it raises serious questions not merely about the final appointment but about the selection process itself. In particular, the Trust must explain how and on what basis Mishra’s name came to be included among the final three if he had not participated in the prescribed final stage, and on what recorded basis he was ultimately selected,” Mr. Thakur wrote.
Mr. Thakur, a 1992-batch IPS officer, sought a clear and satisfactory explanation from the Trust and appropriate corrective action if any deviation from the prescribed process is found. “If a satisfactory response and necessary action are not forthcoming, I will pursue all available legal remedies, including challenging the selection process and appointment before the appropriate judicial/statutory forum,” he said.
Misleading, says Trust
Amid the uproar, the Trust in an statement said, “The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra wishes to formally clarify facts regarding the selection of the Chief Executive Officer to address recent misinformation circulating in certain media channels. The search committee constituted on 6 July 2026 oversaw a transparent, technology-enabled selection process. The committee received 5,585 applications and conducted a multi-tiered evaluation across three cities (Delhi NCR, Pune, Sambalpur) using both artificial intelligence-assisted screening and manual expertise. 16 candidates were shortlisted as finalists and participated in face-to-face interactions at Ayodhya on 11 and 12 August 2026. Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra (Retd.) participated in the interview process on 11 August 2026, in the first half. The committee submitted its final report and recommendations to the trust on 1 September 2026.
“The three recommended candidates were: Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra (Retd.), Shri Sanjay Pratapsinh Vishwas Rao, and Ms. Shruti Bharadwaj. These names were formally announced in media interactions, confirming the completion of the evaluation process and the selection of the Chief Executive Officer,” the statement reads adding the selection process was conducted in accordance with the highest standards of institutional governance and transparency with every stage documented, and the identity of all finalists recorded at Ayodhya.”
Published – September 15, 2026 10:33 pm IST
