Ayodhya , 13 July : The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on a petition seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in donations received by the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court noted that authorities had already registered an FIR and that the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The Court directed the state government to file a status report by next Monday.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice VS Mohan will hear the matter again on 20 July.
Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, the Hindu Dharma Parishad, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh filed the petition.
It seeks a CBI-supervised investigation to determine whether any embezzlement, financial irregularity, or corruption has taken place in relation to the temple’s donation funds.
The petition also urges the Court to direct the Trust and the Uttar Pradesh government to establish a stronger audit and accountability mechanism for monitoring the Trust’s finances and assets.
Demand for Record Preservation and Transparency
The plea requests the preservation of all relevant records, including bank statements, donation registers, audit reports, CCTV footage and digital data, until the investigation is completed.
It also seeks an order restraining the destruction, removal, or tampering with any documents or evidence.
According to the petition, a transparent investigation would help maintain devotees’ confidence. It further alleges that the SIT began its inquiry before initiating a regular criminal investigation, arguing that a court-monitored probe would inspire greater public trust.
Earlier, Supreme Court advocate Anoop Awasthi submitted a letter petition seeking suo motu cognisance of the matter and an independent investigation under the Court’s supervision.
The petition also seeks a complete disclosure of all donations, including cash, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions and valuable items such as gold and silver, ultimately requesting a CBI investigation into the entire matter.
