Supreme Court to Address Allegations of Donation Misappropriation at Ayodhya Ram Temple

Supreme Court Set to Hear Donation Theft Case

The Supreme Court is scheduled to review multiple petitions on July 13, which call for a thorough and timely investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations intended for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

On July 7, an Ayodhya court granted police a one-day remand for three of the eight individuals arrested in connection with the alleged donation theft. The remand was approved for Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey.

Previously, on June 29, a local court had placed all eight accused in 14-day judicial custody.

According to information from the Supreme Court's website, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, will address three petitions related to this matter when the court reconvenes on Monday.

One of the petitioners, Narendra Kumar Goswami, has requested a CBI investigation into the incident and has also called for a financial audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the temple's operations.

The second petition, submitted by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, seeks similar investigative measures.

Additionally, the third petition, filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, requests a forensic audit of the temple trust's finances under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Earlier, a partial working day bench led by Justice B V Nagarathna had instructed one of the petitioners to bring the case forward for urgent consideration at a later date.

The petition from advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav calls for a CBI-led multi-disciplinary special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged financial misconduct and other irregularities related to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's administration.

Rai's petition urges the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Trust to establish and implement necessary regulatory, supervisory, and auditing mechanisms to protect public interest and maintain the trust of millions of devotees and donors.

The plea emphasizes that regardless of the outcome regarding the alleged missing funds and irregularities, such reports have raised significant concerns among those who fought for the restoration of Ayodhya's heritage.

It also notes that the SIT formed by the Uttar Pradesh government began its inquiry without registering an FIR or initiating a formal criminal case.

The petition argues that the credibility of reports about missing funds and other irregularities involving the Trust should be independently verified through a professional investigation by a unified agency with the necessary expertise and resources for complex financial and criminal inquiries.

Such an investigation would foster greater public confidence compared to a preliminary probe conducted by a special investigation team made up of administrative officers lacking specialized criminal investigation credentials.

The issues at hand not only involve potential cognizable offenses but also directly impact the faith and sentiments of countless devotees and the general public.

On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government established the SIT at the request of the temple trust following allegations of donation misappropriation.

The SIT includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan.