Supreme Court to Examine Alleged Misuse of Ram Temple Donations on July 20
The Supreme Court of India will hear a batch of petitions on July 20 seeking a fair and time-bound investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations collected for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The cases will be taken up by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, according to the court's cause list.
On July 13, the top court agreed to hear the pleas and directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report. The court also issued notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple's affairs, seeking its response.
The allegations involve misappropriation of funds donated by devotees. The SIT, comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S., and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan, was formed on June 13 at the request of the temple trust.
Petitioners have demanded a court-monitored investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a forensic audit of the trust's finances. Among them, Narendra Kumar Goswami has sought a CBI probe and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav have called for a multi-disciplinary SIT led by the CBI. RJD MP Sudhakar Singh has also requested a forensic audit, while the Hindu Dharma Parishad has sought a court-monitored probe.
The Supreme Court's intervention follows multiple FIRs and public concern over the handling of donations. The case highlights the need for transparency in the management of religious institutions' funds. The next hearing is scheduled for July 20, where the SIT's status report will be reviewed.
