The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, located in Ayodhya, issued a statement regarding claims concerning the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) selection process. The Trust emphasized that Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra attended an interview on August 11 and refuted the assertion of his absence from the selection process as factually incorrect.
According to the Trust's information, 5,585 applications were received for the CEO position. Out of this number, 16 candidates were selected for the final stage. Personal interviews with these candidates took place on August 11 and 12 in Ayodhya. The Trust clarified that Jitendra Mishra also participated in this process on August 11 during the first session.
This clarification came amid reports in some media platforms claiming that Jitendra Mishra did not participate in the interviews. The Trust provided a complete chronology related to the selection process.
To elect a new CEO, the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust formed a search committee on July 6. A total of 5,585 applications were received by this committee from across the country. The verification of all these applications was conducted in several rounds in Delhi-NCR, Pune, and Sambalpur. Initially, the selection was carried out using technology and expert assistance, followed by qualification checks on paper and in person.
After passing rigorous stages, 16 people reached the final stage. All these 16 candidates were scheduled for an interview in Ayodhya, where they held personal discussions on August 11 and 12. The Trust completely rejected rumors that Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra did not attend the interview; according to the Trust, he arrived for his interview on August 11 at the appointed time in the first session.
The Trust stated that the information about Jitendra Mishra's absence from the interview is untrue, as his presence is recorded in the selection protocols. Furthermore, his name was among the three candidates recommended by the search committee. The committee submitted its final report and recommendations to the Trust on September 1, including the three names: Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra (retired), Sanjay Pratap Singh Vishwas Rao, and Shruti Bardwaj.
The CEO position was officially announced on September 2. The Trust noted that records of every selection stage were preserved, and all final candidates who attended the interview in Ayodhya have been identified.
The CEO selection process began with the formation of the search committee on July 6, after which the committee received 5,585 applications. These applications were checked at various stages, and 16 candidates were chosen for the final round. Personal interviews with these 16 candidates took place on August 11 and 12 in Ayodhya. Jitendra Mishra interviewed on August 11 in the first session. Subsequently, the committee submitted its final report to the Trust on September 1. On September 2, three recommended names were made public. Based on this procedure, the Trust clarified that the claims about Jitendra Mishra's absence from the interview are erroneous. The Trust added that it will continue to share necessary information to clarify facts related to the CEO selection to avoid any misunderstandings.