New Delhi— The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a bunch of public interest litigations demanding a court-monitored forensic audit and a Central Bureau of Investigation-led probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
A vacation bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Sheel Nagu questioned the immediacy of the requests, noting that the matter could wait until the top court resumes its regular functioning after the ongoing summer recess. The bench observed that heavens are not going to fall if the petition is heard after the court reopens, directing the registry to list the pleas in due course, with regular court sessions scheduled to resume on July 13.
The legal intervention was initiated by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, alongside a separate petition by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami. The petitioners approached the apex court seeking the constitution of a multi-disciplinary Special Investigation Team led by the Central Bureau of Investigation to ensure a fair, independent, and time-bound investigation into the alleged financial irregularities within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. They argued that an independent central agency probe is imperative to preserve public confidence and safeguard the faith and sentiments of millions of devotees who contributed to the temple.
The petitioners also expressed apprehensions regarding the state government’s handling of the matter, urging the court to direct the immediate preservation of all physical records, digital logs, donation registers, and CCTV footage. They contended that a probe by administrative officers lacks the specialized credentials required for complex financial and criminal investigations.
The controversy gained momentum after the Uttar Pradesh government, acting on a request from the temple trust, set up a three-member state investigation team on June 13 to examine the allegations of misappropriation. The state panel, which includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan, submitted a preliminary report on June 23. Following the initial findings, local police registered a formal First Information Report, arrested eight accused individuals, and recovered nearly 80 lakh rupees during subsequent raids. Amidst the widening probe into the money trail, the temple trust confirmed it received the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.
