The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a batch of petitions seeking an independent investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya after the Uttar Pradesh government informed it that a chargesheet had been filed in the case.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana directed the Judicial Magistrate concerned to proceed with the matter in accordance with law.
Taking note of the public interest involved, the Court also permitted the petitioners to assist the Magistrate in the proceedings, on the same footing as victims of crime are entitled to assist criminal proceedings under the law.
The Bench clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the allegations, ensuring that the observations and directions would not prejudice the proceedings before the competent court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the Court that the investigation had been completed and the chargesheet filed. Explaining the findings of the investigation, he submitted that the alleged diversion of donations had primarily taken place during the counting process inside the temple premises.
Mehta told the Bench that investigators had examined the financial transactions of the employees accused in the case and traced suspicious deposits and investments in properties. He explained that the investigating team had worked backwards from bank deposits and property transactions to establish the alleged financial trail.
Referring to one such instance, the Solicitor General submitted that a property purchased for approximately Rs 15 lakh was found to be worth around Rs 50 lakh, with the difference allegedly paid in cash. He contended that the investigation had examined whether such unexplained expenditure could be linked to the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
The petitions had sought a court-monitored investigation, including a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into allegations of theft and diversion of offerings received at the Ram temple. Some petitioners had also sought a comprehensive forensic audit of the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a chargesheet running into more than 60,000 pages before the anti-corruption court in Ayodhya in September, naming eight accused. The investigation examined alleged cash pilferage during the counting of donations, the handling of valuable offerings and the financial transactions and assets of the accused.
The SIT, headed by Lucknow Range Inspector General of Police Kiran S, reportedly identified 105 instances of alleged unauthorised removal or concealment of currency from the temple’s counting room through an examination of CCTV footage and other electronic evidence.
The investigation also involved scrutiny of bank accounts, property records, digital material and statements of witnesses. According to the SIT’s status report placed before the Supreme Court in September, investigators had examined 173 witnesses, including temple functionaries, accounting personnel, bank officials, security staff and others connected with the donation-handling process.
The probe also examined allegations concerning valuable donations, including silver articles and other offerings. The SIT informed the Court that it had physically verified 803 valuable articles for which receipts were available and separately examined another 86 articles for which receipts were not available. It also scrutinised records relating to approximately 944.411 kg of silver sent for melting to the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited.
The Supreme Court had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the allegations and directed the inclusion of a forensic auditor in the investigation to ensure a comprehensive examination of the financial transactions and donation records.
On September 21, the SIT had informed the Court that it had identified 105 instances of alleged unauthorised removal or concealment of currency and that the investigation was substantially complete. The Uttar Pradesh government had subsequently informed the Court that the chargesheet would be filed before the expiry of the statutory 90-day period.
With the filing of the chargesheet, the Supreme Court has now brought the batch of petitions to a close, leaving the matter to be dealt with by the competent judicial court.
The Bench, however, preserved the petitioners’ right to assist the Magistrate, observing that the matter was not merely a dispute between an accused and the State but also involved an element of public interest.
The Court’s order makes clear that the closure of the Supreme Court proceedings does not amount to an adjudication of the allegations or a finding of guilt against any of the accused.
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