Supreme Court (Left), Ayodhya Ram Mandir (Right)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on July 13, issued notices to the Union Government, the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on a batch of petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of embezzlement of donations made for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
At the same time, the top court made it clear that the matter remains under investigation and sought a detailed status report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Government. The report has also been directed to specify the composition of the SIT.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana heard the petitions.
Appearing for the Union and the Uttar Pradesh Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the SIT status report would be submitted in a sealed cover. However, the Bench declined the request to postpone the issuance of notice to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
During the hearing, counsel for one of the petitioners urged the court to direct preservation of CCTV footage and other records that could be relevant to the investigation. The petitioners also sought a copy of the SIT’s status report, but the Bench declined the request for now.
“We will see later. It’s an ongoing investigation,” Chief Justice Surya Kant observed.
The petitions before the Supreme Court seek various directions, including a CBI investigation, forensic audits and enhanced transparency in the Trust’s financial affairs. One petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeks a CBI investigation as well as an audit of the Trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Another petition, filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, requests directions to the Union Government, Uttar Pradesh Government and the Trust to safeguard the interests of devotees and donors. The petition argues that, irrespective of whether the allegations are ultimately established, the reports have caused concern among those who contributed to the Ram Mandir movement.
A separate petition filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh seeks a Supreme Court-monitored CBI investigation along with a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust’s finances. The plea also asks for preservation of financial records, including digital payment logs, bank statements and other documents, to prevent any possible tampering with evidence.
The petition further seeks restrictions on major financial decisions by the Trust until the investigation is completed and requests that audited financial statements and donation details be published on the Trust’s official website.
A fourth petition by the Hindu Dharma Parishad also seeks a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations. An SIT constituted by the state conducted an inquiry, following which the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR. According to the information placed before the court, eight persons are currently in custody in connection with the case.
Earlier, similar petitions seeking high-level investigations had also been filed before the Allahabad High Court. However, the High Court declined to entertain them in view of the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court, avoiding parallel adjudication.
