SC to hear pleas seeking probe into Ram temple donations row on July 13

The Supreme Court would hear a batch of pleas seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on July 13.

On July 7, an Ayodhya court granted one-day police remand for three of the eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple. The court authorised the remand for Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra and Karunesh Pandey.

On June 29, a local court had sent all the eight accused to 14-day judicial custody.

According to the Supreme Court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana will hear as many as three petitions filed on the issue when the apex court reopens on Monday.

Narendra Kumar Goswami, one of the three petitioners, has moved the top court seeking a CBI probe into the incident. He also sought a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the finances of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the affairs of the Ram temple.

The second petition has been filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav seeking similar measures.

Besides seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe, the third petition, filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, has sought a forensic audit of the entire finances of the temple trust.

Earlier, a partial working day bench headed by Justice B V Nagarathna had asked one of the petitioners to mention the case for urgent hearing on a later date.

The petition, filed by practising advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, said a CBI-led multi-disciplinary special investigation team (SIT) should investigate the alleged financial irregularities and other purported illegalities concerning the affairs and administration of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Rai, in his petition, has sought directions to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Trust for constituting and operationalising such regulatory, supervisory and audit mechanisms as may be necessary to safeguard public interest and maintain the confidence of millions of devotees and donors.

“Whether or not the reports regarding missing funds and other alleged irregularities concerning the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust are ultimately found to be true, such reports have caused deep concern among the generations that struggled for the restoration of the glory of Ayodhya,” the plea said.

It also said the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Government commenced its inquiry into the matter without the registration of an FIR or any regular criminal case.

The plea said the veracity of reports concerning alleged missing funds and other purported irregularities involving the Trust ought to be independently verified through a professional investigation conducted by a unified agency possessing the requisite expertise, resources and institutional mechanisms for handling complex financial and criminal investigations.

“Such an inquiry would inspire greater public confidence than a preliminary probe conducted by a special investigation team comprising administrative officers who may not possess specialised credentials in criminal investigation,” the plea said.

It said the issues involved not only concern the possible commission of cognisable offences but also directly affect the faith, sentiments and confidence of countless devotees and the public.

On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh Government constituted the SIT on a request from the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ram temple. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan.