A Member of Parliament from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has approached the Supreme Court seeking the transfer of the ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities concerning the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The Member of Parliament (MP) is seeking to have the probe placed under the direct supervision of the top court, following reports of misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Sudhakar Singh, the RJD MP from Buxar. The PIL cites the existing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and the reported recovery of ₹77 lakh from eight individuals arrested in connection with the case. It asserts that safeguarding the administration of the Trust and protecting the offerings made by millions of devotees is a matter of exceptional public importance.
The RJD MP clarified that the petition does not aim to interfere with religious practices or temple rituals. Instead, it underscores the need for judicial intervention to ensure transparency and accountability in the secular financial administration of the Trust.
The PIL further demands a comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, transactions, and assets of the Trust by an independent agency. It also calls for the Trust to be directed to publish audited financial statements and donation records on its official website to promote public transparency.
Additionally, the petition seeks directives for the preservation of all financial records, including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs, and bank statements, to prevent any alleged tampering with evidence. It also requests an order restraining the Trust from undertaking major investments, entering into substantial contracts, or making significant financial decisions without prior approval from a proposed Oversight Committee.
Singh proposed the appointment of a temporary, court-monitored Oversight Committee, comprising retired judicial officers and financial experts, to oversee the Trust’s secular financial affairs while the investigation is ongoing.
This is the second PIL filed in the Supreme Court concerning the matter. The controversy surrounding alleged embezzlement of funds related to the Ayodhya Ram Temple had previously reached the apex court on June 22. Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav had filed a petition requesting the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and a fair, time-bound investigation by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary SIT.
Their petition aimed to have the SIT investigate alleged financial irregularities and other purported illegalities concerning the administration and affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. However, the Supreme Court on June 29 declined to urgently hear their plea, stating that “Heavens are not going to fall if the petition is heard after the court resumes regular functioning after the summer break.”
Earlier, on June 13, the Uttar Pradesh Government had established a three-member SIT at the request of the temple trust to investigate allegations of financial irregularities and misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The SIT, constituted by the state government, includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Special Secretary of the Finance Department Neel Ratan.
This SIT submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh Government on June 23. Following the submission of this report, an FIR was registered, and eight accused individuals were arrested. The arrested individuals have been identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. These individuals were reportedly associated with the process of counting cash and valuables received as donations at the Ram Temple.
The Chenab Times News Desk