Supreme Court declines urgent hearing on plea seeking probe into Ram Temple donations

The Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored investigation into the handling of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. The court, however, indicated that the matter would be listed through the normal process.

Appearing in person, the petitioner urged a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi for an immediate listing, arguing that crucial evidence needed to be preserved. The plea seeks the preservation of CCTV footage, digital payment records, and other documents related to donations and offerings made at the Ram Temple.

The petition also calls for a forensic audit of the temple trust’s finances and greater transparency in the management of donations. It alleges financial irregularities in the handling of funds and refers to an ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The petitioner clarified that the case concerns only the administration of donations and does not seek any interference in religious practices. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government had earlier constituted a three-member SIT to investigate allegations related to the management of temple funds.

The Supreme Court directed the petitioner to follow the regular listing procedure and indicated that the matter could be mentioned again on June 29. A detailed probe into the allegations remains underway.