Ram Temple Funds Theft: Supreme Court Issues Notices to Union, UP Govts and Trust Over Pleas Seeking CBI Probe

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Union and state governments, requested the court to defer the issuance of notice to the temple trust, but the bench turned down the request.

The Wire Staff

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Union and state governments, requested the court to defer the issuance of notice to the temple trust, but the bench turned down the request.

ram temple funds theft supreme court issues notices to union up govts and trust over pleas seeking cbi probe

A view of Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. Photo: PTI/Shahbaz Khan.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (July 13) issued a notice to the Union government and the Uttar Pradesh government regarding the petitions seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations of theft and embezzlement of donation funds received for the Ayodhya Ram temple. Additionally, the top court also issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple, and directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file a status report on the developments so far, LiveLaw reported.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana were hearing the batch of pleas.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Union and state governments, said that a status report will be filed in a sealed cover on Monday, July 20. He also requested the court to defer the issuance of notice to the temple trust, but the bench turned down the request.

The first petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeks an investigation by CBI, along with an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the finances of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust.

The second petition, filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, also seeks a similar direction for CBI probe. The third petition, filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, called for a forensic audit of the entire finances of the temple trust in the light of the scam, in addition to a CBI probe under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.

Singh’s PIL further sought the top court’s directions to preserve financial records, including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements, to prevent any tampering with evidence.

A fourth petition has been filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations.

The counsel for one of the petitioners also submitted that there was a need to preserve the CCTV visuals and other records, LiveLaw reported.

On a petitioner’s request that the status report filed by the State be furnished to them as well, CJI Surya Kant said, "We will see later. It's an ongoing investigation."

This article went live on July thirteenth, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-two minutes past one in the afternoon.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.