New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to consider deferring the hearing on a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana considered a request made by counsel representing the Uttar Pradesh government, who informed the court that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was currently abroad attending a United Nations event as part of an official delegation. Responding to counsel’s request to take up the matter the following week, the Bench agreed to consider the adjournment.
The legal proceedings stem from allegations of financial irregularities surrounding cash donations and offerings collected at the temple managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On July 27, the apex court took note of the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to constitute a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police Kiran S to investigate the matter. During that hearing, the court instructed the state administration to include a forensic auditor within the probe team to ensure financial transparency and directed the SIT to submit a status report within two weeks.
The petitions before the top court—filed individually by Narendra Kumar Goswami, Ajay Kumar Rai, Dinesh Kumar Yadav, and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sudhakar Singh—seek comprehensive directives, including a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, an independent forensic audit, and a full accounting of all cash and material offerings received by the trust. While cautioning parties against politicizing the matter, the Supreme Court previously emphasized the need for remedial action and transparent investigative procedures. State law enforcement authorities have arrested eight individuals in connection with the ongoing investigation.
