SC orders forensic auditor in Ram temple donation probe team

Just a word of caution. Please don’t politicise the issue. The courts are not a place for politics. It is a simple case of commission of crime. We are (here) just to ensure a proper investigation - Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant

The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to include a forensic auditor on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating claims of embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kiran S will lead the four-member team, which must submit its first status report in two weeks.

Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta confirmed the SIT was set up on July 25, as the court had suggested earlier. The team includes IGP Kiran S, a DIG-level officer, a senior superintendent of police, and an additional SP from the Ayodhya and Lucknow areas.

“We are focused on having a fair, speedy, impartial investigation,” the Chief Justice said. The bench emphasised the need for a thorough and transparent probe, postponed further hearings for two weeks, and gave the SIT full access to records. Senior advocate Devdatt Kamat, speaking for a petitioner, asked for greater public disclosure, noting that many ordinary devotees donated Rs 500 and Rs 1,00 notes. “Ultimately the money has not reached the Trust. Whatever the Trust received may be shown on a website so that people will know that their money has been received. This is not adversarial litigation,” he said.

“Right now, you all note down the issues. Right now, our entire focus is on investigation. We must have a speedy and qualitative investigation. We are asking them to submit a report to us. The rest we will decide at a later stage,” the bench said. The bench directed the SIT to submit a status report in respect to the ongoing investigation in two weeks and posted the pleas for further consideration after that.

“Just a word of caution. Please don’t politicise the issue. The courts are not a place for politics. It is a simple case of commission of crime. We are (here) just to ensure a proper investigation,” the CJI had said. This order comes allegations of misappropriation of donations surfaced earlier in May. The Ramabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust requested an investigation after discovering discrepancies in bank deposits in late May.

Hidden cameras in the counting room reportedly recorded staff concealing cash in clothing, pockets, and shoes. Standard procedures were violated: personnel were not frisked, CCTV footage was kept for only 45 days instead of 180, and Ramashankar Yadav, a former driver of then-general secretary Champat Rai, held keys to several donation boxes.

On June 13, the State Government set up a three-member SIT led by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, along with IGP Kiran S and a special secretary from the finance department.

Their first report, given on June 23, found theft in about 70 cases and led to an FIR on June 25 against eight people involved in counting: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Tinnu Yadav.

All were arrested, and nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash, foreign currency, and jewellery were recovered. Six of the accused got their jobs through recommendations from trust officials.

Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned for moral reasons. Many petitions were filed with the Supreme Court seeking a CBI-led or court-monitored investigation, a forensic audit, and reforms to protect the trust’s property. The court did not hold urgent hearings during the vacation, but from mid-July it requested an IPS-led investigation free of political influence.

In the 2024-25 financial year, the trust earned about Rs 327 crore, mostly from donations. Early figures for 2025-26 show voluntary contributions between Rs 98 and Rs 150 crore, plus significant interest from a fund of over Rs 1,800 crore, mainly in fixed deposits. Construction and operations have used up thousands of crores since 2020.