An Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran and fighter pilot who headed the force’s critical western section during India’s Operation Sindoor strikes against Pakistan in May 2025 was appointed the first chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust (SRJTKT), the body that looks after operations of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, September 2.
Air Marshal (retd) Jeetendra Mishra was selected from a shortlist of three candidates prepared out of 5,585 applications that came for the post, said officials. His appointment made national news because it comes after the financial scandal that emerged in July involving the alleged theft and embezzlement of cash and valuables offered into donation boxes at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Eight people were arrested and SRJTKT general secretary Champat Rai had to resign in the wake of the scandal that dented the ruling BJP’s relentless campaign to project itself as the unblemished custodians of Lord Ram’s ideals.
SRJTKT also appointed former treasurer Govind Dev Giri as its new general secretary and Mahesh Bhagchandka as treasurer at a meeting held in Ayodhya on Wednesday. Among other appointments in the were new trustees Madan Mohan Pandey of Ayodhya, an advocate who represented Ram Lalla Virajman in the Ram Janmabhoomi case; Bhagchandka of Delhi; and Dr Nirmala Yadav of Shikohabad, a retired college principal and academician. The meeting was held in two sessions, with the newly inducted trustees joining the second session online, interim secretary Krishna Mohan said.
The new general secretary Govind Dev Giri said the trust may appoint a joint CEO or deputy CEO if required and would prepare an SOP specifying the CEO’s duties and responsibilities. “We have to make Ayodhya the world’s cultural capital. We will not leave any stone unturned for this,” he said.
The three candidates shortlisted for the CEO’s position were “three highly qualified professionals” recommended by a search committee that was headed by retired Justice Pramod Kohli and comprised retired Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi, said the committee’s secretary, Sameer Panda. The trio was shortlisted after the committee assessed their leadership, management expertise, integrity and vision, he added.
Air Marshal (retd) Jeetendra Mishra, 62, hails from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh. He headed the Western Air Command of IAF during Operation Sindoor and was later awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for his role in this military operation Sindoor. He was also awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal during his long military career, said SRJTKT officials.
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Mishra was commissioned into Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, and served for more than 39 years before retiring on April 30, 2026. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune; Air Force Test Pilots School, Bengaluru; Air Command and Staff College in the US; and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.
Mishra’s IAF career included more than 3,000 hours of flying, commanding a fighter squadron and two frontline air bases. He also served as commandant of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), said a PTI report. Mishra also held several senior appointments at the Air Headquarters, including director of the Operational Planning and Assessment Group, the report said. During Operation Sindoor, Mishra was head of the Western Air Command and responsible for its key operational commands.
