Ram Mandir Donation Theft: Supreme Court Issues Notice To Trust, Seeks Report From UP
Ram Mandir Donation Theft: Supreme Court Issues Notice To Trust, Seeks Report From UP SIT
M.U.H
12/07/202615
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from UP‑constituted SIT investigating the Ram Temple donation embezzlement, and also sought a response from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 20. The bench sought response from the trust, which is managing the temple, along with the state government and the Centre.
The bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, was dealing with petitions regarding Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft, misappropriation, and embezzlement.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Centre and the state government. Mehta said that the status report will be filed in a sealed cover. He accepted the notice for the state and the Centre.
A counsel for one of the petitioners submitted that there was a need to preserve the CCTV visuals and other records. Another counsel requested that a copy of the status report to be filed by the state be furnished to them as well. However, the bench did not accede to the request at this stage. "We will see later. It's an ongoing investigation”, the bench observed.
Two petitions—filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav and RJD MP Sudhakar Singh through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput—demand a CBI investigation. They argued that the Yogi government, Uttar Pradesh police and the state SIT cannot be relied upon for a fair, transparent and impartial probe.
The plea filed by the RJD MP sought a CBI probe into the alleged donation theft at Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The plea also sought a direction to the temple trust to place before the court a complete statement of all donations in the form of money and valuables received since its formation on February 5, 2020.
The plea contended that it raises issues of exceptional public importance concerning the administration of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Ayodhya U.P., protection of offerings made by millions of devotees, and preservation of public confidence in one of the country's most revered religious institutions. The plea stressed the need for constitutional safeguards to ensure the ongoing investigation into allegations concerning the handling of devotees' offerings is fair, independent, and inspires national confidence.
The plea urged the Supreme Court to direct the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to provide a complete statement of all donations, offerings and contributions received since its constitution. This statement should include cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, donations in kind, gold, silver and other valuables, along with particulars of their accounting, custody and utilization.
The second plea filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, contended that the opaque handling of funds by an institution serving in a fiduciary capacity directly undermines the faith, sentiments, and confidence of countless devotees and the public who voluntarily contributed to the construction of the Bhagwan Shri Ram Temple at Janmabhoomi.
“The truthfulness or otherwise of the allegations pertaining to the reported missing funds, accounting irregularities and other financial discrepancies concerning Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust can be ascertained only through a comprehensive, independent and professional investigation conducted by an agency possessing specialized expertise, adequate resources, technical capabilities and an established institutional framework for investigation of complex financial and economic offences”, said the plea.
The third petition filed by a lawyer, Narendra Kumar Goswami, sought a declaration that offerings made by devotees to Shri Ram Lalla Virajman at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Ayodhya, including cash, gold, silver, jewellery, valuable articles and digital donations—are sacred trust property requiring transparent, accountable and fiduciary handling.
