Air Marshal (Retd.) Jeetendra Mishra, who served as the chief of the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, has been appointed the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, according to officials on Wednesday (September 2).

Mishra’s appointment comes as the trust seeks to strengthen its administrative and financial management amid scrutiny over allegations of theft and embezzlement involving donations and funds associated with the Ram temple.

The former Air Marshal was selected from a final shortlist of three candidates drawn from 5,585 applications. The selection committee, headed by retired Justice Pramod Kohli, included retired Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi and former scientist Suresh Haware. The panel submitted its final recommendations to Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri on Tuesday (September 1).

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

Mishra, however, told The Hindu that he had not been informed about his selection in advance and learnt about the appointment through news reports.

The new CEO will be responsible for overseeing the trust’s legal, administrative and financial affairs. His responsibilities will also include ensuring compliance with the trust deed and improving financial transparency in its functioning.

The appointment follows a multi-stage selection process. The trust had initially shortlisted 18 candidates from more than 5,000 applications before reducing the list to three on September 1.

A three-member search committee was tasked with finalising the appointment. However, details about the specific qualifications and selection criteria for the CEO, beyond those mentioned in the application form, have not been made public.

Mishra’s appointment comes at a significant juncture for the temple trust, which is facing demands for greater transparency over the management of its finances and donations.