Supreme Court To Hear PIL Seeking Probe Into Alleged Irregularities In Ram Temple Donations
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into allegations of misappropriation and theft of donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.
Taking note of the seriousness of the matter, the apex court has constituted a special three-judge bench to hear the case on July 13.
The bench will be headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and will also comprise Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V.S. Mohan.
The court is expected to hear together the petition filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, along with a separate plea moved by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh raising similar concerns.
Petition seeks independent SIT under court supervision
The petitioners have urged the Supreme Court to order a comprehensive investigation into allegations relating to the handling of donations and offerings received by the Ram Temple Trust.
While an FIR has already been registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the state's Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly submitted an interim report, the petitioners have argued that an independent investigation is necessary to ensure transparency and impartiality.
They have sought the constitution of an independent SIT led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and functioning under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.
The plea has also sought directions to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to establish stronger auditing mechanisms and financial oversight systems to prevent any future irregularities involving donations and assets.
Plea seeks preservation of records and CCTV footage
The petitioners have further requested the court to issue interim directions for preserving all records related to donations until the investigation is completed.
These include bank account details, donation registers, audit reports, computer records and CCTV footage from the temple premises.
According to the plea, preserving the records is necessary to ensure that no evidence is tampered with or destroyed during the course of the investigation.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and no findings have yet been made against the Trust regarding the claims raised in the petitions.
