The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 13 a batch of writ petitions seeking an independent investigation into the alleged theft of donations from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The petitions seek a court-monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), along with a comprehensive forensic audit of the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohan will hear three petitions raising concerns over the alleged misappropriation of temple donations and seeking judicial intervention to ensure transparency, accountability and preservation of financial records.
One of the petitions has been filed by petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami, who has sought a direction for a CBI investigation into the alleged donation theft. He has also requested the Court to order an audit of the Trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), contending that an independent examination of the Trust’s accounts is necessary in view of the allegations.
A second petition, filed by petitioners-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, also seeks a direction for a CBI investigation into the alleged financial irregularities.
The third public interest litigation (PIL), filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh, seeks a Supreme Court-monitored CBI investigation along with a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust’s entire financial transactions. The petition contends that the seriousness of the allegations warrants judicial oversight to ensure a fair, impartial and independent investigation.
The PIL seeks directions for the immediate preservation of all financial records of the Trust, including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs, bank statements and other electronic records, to prevent any destruction, alteration or tampering of evidence during the investigation.
Pending completion of the investigation, the petitioner has also sought an interim direction restraining the Trust from undertaking major financial or administrative decisions involving utilisation of Trust funds, execution of substantial contracts, creation of third-party rights, alienation of Trust assets, investments or other significant financial commitments without the prior approval of a Court-monitored Oversight Committee.
In addition, the petition seeks a detailed forensic audit of the Trust’s accounts, donations, offerings, bank transactions, assets and financial records by an independent agency of unquestionable credibility. It requests that the audit report be submitted before the Supreme Court for appropriate consideration.
The PIL further seeks directions to the Trust to publish audited financial statements, details of donations received, utilisation of funds and other financial information on its official website to promote transparency and public accountability, while safeguarding confidential or sensitive donor information wherever necessary.
The petitioner has also requested the Court to direct the Trust to place on record a complete statement of all donations and contributions received since its constitution. This includes cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, donations in kind, gold, silver and other valuables, along with details regarding their accounting, custody, management and utilisation.
Earlier, during the Supreme Court’s partial court working days, the Bench declined a request for urgent listing of the petitions. Similar petitions seeking comparable reliefs are also pending before the Allahabad High Court.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police has already registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the alleged donation theft following an inquiry conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the State government. According to the latest status placed before the Court, eight persons are currently in judicial custody in connection with the investigation.
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