The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it would continue to monitor the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, stressing that its primary objective was to ensure a fair, transparent, time-bound and high-quality investigation.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana directed the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations and ordered the SIT to file a status report within two weeks.
The Court was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged diversion and misappropriation of temple donations, along with a forensic audit of the Trust’s financial records.
Appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the State had already constituted an SIT headed by Lucknow Inspector General of Police S. Kiran, assisted by a Deputy Inspector General and a Senior Superintendent of Police, to investigate the allegations. Accepting the Court’s suggestion, the State agreed to associate a forensic auditor with the investigation to examine the financial trail and accounting records.
The Bench emphasised that the proceedings would not be closed at this stage and that it would continue to supervise the progress of the investigation. The Court observed that the immediate priority was a speedy, impartial and qualitative investigation, while issues relating to transparency, accountability and remedial measures would be considered after the SIT submitted its findings. It further indicated that additional steps could be introduced to strengthen transparency in the administration of temple donations.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that the SIT should also scrutinise the donations collected from devotees across the country and verify whether the amounts had actually reached the Trust.
He suggested that details of donations received by the Trust should eventually be made available on its official website so that contributors could verify that their contributions had been properly accounted for. The Court observed that the SIT would have access to all relevant records for the investigation.
Kamat also suggested that a retired Supreme Court judge be appointed to monitor the probe. However, the Solicitor General opposed the proposal, submitting that such an arrangement was unnecessary since the three-judge Bench itself was monitoring the investigation.
The petitions before the Court seek multiple directions relating to the alleged financial irregularities in the management of Ram Mandir donations. One petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeks a CBI investigation and an audit of the Trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Another petition by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav seeks similar reliefs and requests directions to the Union Government, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Trust to safeguard the interests of devotees and donors, contending that reports of missing funds have undermined public confidence irrespective of the eventual outcome of the investigation.
A separate public interest litigation filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh seeks a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust’s accounts under the supervision of the Supreme Court, preservation of all financial records including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements, and measures to prevent destruction or tampering of evidence.
The plea also seeks directions restraining the Trust from undertaking major financial decisions, substantial contracts, investments or creating third-party rights without prior approval of a proposed Court-monitored oversight committee until the investigation is completed. It further requests publication of audited financial statements, donation records, utilisation of funds and other financial information on the Trust’s official website, while protecting sensitive donor information.
Another petition filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad seeks a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations. Meanwhile, the Nirmohi Akhara has separately approached the Supreme Court seeking restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust into a public trust, contending that its present structure lacks adequate accountability and is inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya judgment.
The Supreme Court noted that an FIR had already been registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police following a preliminary inquiry conducted by the State SIT. It also recalled that the Allahabad High Court had declined to entertain similar petitions to avoid parallel proceedings while the matter was pending before the apex court. Reiterating that the issue should not be politicised, the Court said the present focus would remain on ensuring a thorough, independent and transparent investigation before considering any further directions.
