Supreme Court declines urgent hearing on plea seeking CBI probe into Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation row
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
A bench of the apex court observed that there was no extraordinary urgency warranting immediate intervention, remarking that "heavens are not going to fall" if the matter followed the normal listing procedure. The court indicated that the petition would be taken up in due course through the regular judicial process rather than being fast-tracked.
The plea seeks the registration of an FIR and the constitution of a CBI-led multi-disciplinary Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fair and time-bound probe into alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations collected for the Ram Temple.
The petitioners have also sought directions for stronger regulatory, supervisory and audit mechanisms to ensure transparency in the management of public donations and to safeguard the interests of devotees contributing to the temple.
The Supreme Court's decision comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Uttar Pradesh government, which has already constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine allegations related to the alleged misappropriation of temple donations. The SIT's preliminary findings led to the registration of an FIR, and multiple arrests have been made as part of the state-level investigation.
The alleged donation embezzlement has triggered widespread political debate, with opposition parties demanding an independent probe, while the state government has maintained that those found guilty will face strict legal action.
