New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday directed the court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya to conclude its investigation expeditiously and reach a logical conclusion. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana ordered the SIT to submit a comprehensive status report in a sealed cover detailing the progress achieved in the financial probe.
The bench also permitted petitioners and public-spirited citizens to submit suggestions through the office of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure transparency and qualitative improvement in the ongoing inquiry. The court noted that upon reviewing the findings in the sealed report, it may formulate and issue specific guidelines for institutional reforms concerning the management and handling of public donations offered by devotees visiting the temple shrine.
The directive follows earlier proceedings on July 27, when the apex court reviewed the constitution of the multi-member SIT headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor to examine the accounts thoroughly. The court had intervened after multiple petitions, including one filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sudhakar Singh, sought an independent forensic audit and a central agency inquiry into alleged financial irregularities within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Emphasizing that institutional transparency must be maintained, the top court stated that remedial measures would be instituted based on the outcome of the forensic assessment and investigative findings.
