The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a cluster of petitions on July 13 calling for an independent and time-bound investigation into the suspected embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A three-judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana will examine three separate pleas when the court resumes its sessions on Monday, according to details on the Supreme Court website. The petitioners are demanding high-level audits and central investigations into the financial administration of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body that manages the temple.
Demands For Central Audits And CBI Inquiry
Among the litigants, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament Sudhakar Singh has petitioned the apex court to order a court-monitored investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), along with a forensic audit of the temple trust’s entire financial operations.
Another petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, similarly seeks a CBI inquiry and has requested a formal audit of the trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
A third petition, filed jointly by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, proposes the creation of a CBI-led multi-disciplinary Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the financial irregularities and administrative issues. The petition urges the central government, the Uttar Pradesh state government, and the temple trust to establish regulatory, supervisory, and audit frameworks to maintain public confidence and protect devotees’ interests.
In their plea, the advocates argued that an independent inquiry by a unified agency with specialized expertise is essential to address the complex financial matters. They expressed concern that a state-appointed administrative team lacks the necessary specialized criminal investigation credentials and noted that the local inquiry had commenced without a registered First Information Report (FIR) or formal criminal case.
Local Arrests And State-Level Investigation
The scheduled Supreme Court hearing comes amid ongoing local legal proceedings in Ayodhya. Police have arrested eight individuals in connection with the alleged theft of donations. On June 29, a local court remanded all eight accused to 14 days of judicial custody. Subsequently, on July 7, the court granted a one-day police remand for three of the suspects: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and Karunesh Pandey.
Prior to these arrests, the Uttar Pradesh government had established its own three-member SIT on June 13 to investigate the allegations. The panel was formed at the request of the temple trust and consists of Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Special Secretary of Finance Neel Ratan.
Earlier, the petitioners had approached a partial working day bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice B V Nagarathna, which directed them to mention the matter for an urgent hearing on a subsequent date.
