The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The pleas arise from allegations of misappropriation of donations made to the temple.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the three PILs will be presented before a three-judge Bench, presided over by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. The hearing is slated for July 13, coinciding with the court’s reopening after its summer vacation.
Previously, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent listing of these petitions during the court’s partial working days. The first PIL was filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, a petitioner-in-person, requesting a CBI investigation and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the Trust’s financial dealings. The second PIL, jointly filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, also seeks a fair and time-bound inquiry by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged misappropriation of donations. These petitioners further desired the SIT to investigate other purported financial irregularities and “illegalities” concerning the administration of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The third PIL, initiated by RJD Member of Parliament Sudhakar Singh, advocates for the transfer of the ongoing probe to the CBI under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. Citing the existing SIT investigation and the reported recovery of Rs 77 lakh from eight individuals arrested in connection with the case, the PIL filed by Singh, who represents Buxar constituency, emphasized the exceptional public importance of safeguarding the Trust’s administration and protecting the offerings made by millions of devotees.
Singh’s plea further calls for a comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, transactions, and assets of the Trust to be conducted by an independent agency. The PIL demands that the Trust be directed to publicly disclose its audited financial statements and donation records on its official website to ensure transparency. Additionally, the petition seeks an order to preserve all financial records, including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs, and bank statements, to prevent any potential tampering with evidence. It also requests a restraining order preventing the Trust from undertaking significant investments, entering into substantial contracts, or making major financial decisions without the prior approval of a proposed Oversight Committee.
To oversee the Trust’s financial affairs during the pendency of the investigation, Singh proposed that the Supreme Court appoint a temporary, court-monitored Oversight Committee composed of retired judicial officers and financial experts.
Parallel to these Supreme Court petitions, several other pleas seeking similar relief are reportedly pending before the Allahabad High Court.
On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government established a three-member SIT, responding to a request from the temple trust, to investigate allegations of financial irregularities and donation misappropriation at the Ram Temple. This SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan. Following the submission of their preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on June 23, an FIR was registered. Ayodhya Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ashutosh Tiwari has been appointed as the lead investigating officer for the case.
Eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the alleged misappropriation. These arrested individuals, identified as Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav, were reportedly involved in the process of counting the cash and valuables received as donations for the temple.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
