The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear three public interest litigations on Monday that seek an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation under the top court's direct supervision into the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, following allegations of misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Three PILs to be heard by CJI-led bench
The petitions will come up for hearing before a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana on July 13, when the Supreme Court reopens after summer vacation. Earlier, the apex court had refused urgent listing of these petitions during the partial working days.
The first PIL, filed by petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeks a CBI probe and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the Trust's finances. The second PIL, filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, also demands a fair and time-bound probe by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary SIT into allegations of misappropriation of donations, including other purported illegalities concerning the Trust's affairs and administration.
The third PIL, filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sudhakar Singh from Buxar, seeks transfer of the ongoing probe to the CBI under Supreme Court supervision. Citing an ongoing Special Investigation Team probe and the reported recovery of Rs 77 lakh from eight accused arrested in the case, Singh's petition argues that it is of exceptional public importance to safeguard the Trust's administration and protect the offerings made by millions of devotees.
Demands for transparency and oversight
Singh's PIL calls for a comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, transactions, and assets of the Trust by an independent agency. It demands that the Trust be directed to publish audited financial statements and donation records on its official website for public transparency. The petition also seeks directions to preserve all financial records—including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs, and bank statements—to prevent any alleged tampering with evidence. Additionally, it requests an order restraining the Trust from undertaking major investments, entering into substantial contracts, or taking significant financial decisions without prior approval of a proposed Oversight Committee.
Singh wants the top court to appoint a temporary, court-monitored Oversight Committee consisting of retired judicial officers and financial experts to oversee the Trust's financial affairs during the pendency of the investigation.
State SIT probe and arrests
Some other petitions seeking similar reliefs are pending before the Allahabad High Court. On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government set up a three-member SIT at the request of the temple trust to look into allegations of financial irregularities and misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan. It submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23, following which an FIR was registered. Ayodhya Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Tiwari is the lead investigating officer.
Eight accused have been arrested so far: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. They were associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations.
