Supreme Court To Hear Matter Concerning Ayodhya Ram Mandir Donation Row Immediately After Reopening
The matter was mentioned before the vacation bench, seeking to list it urgently.
The Supreme Court directed the listing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored, CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of donations received at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir immediately after the court reopens.
The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a vacation bench.
Recently, the Allahabad High Court had also refused to accord an out-of-turn hearing on a plea seeking an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the management of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, observing there was no urgency in the matter.
The Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Sheel Nagu said, "List immediately after reopening."
Petitioner Ajay Kumar Rai appeared in person.
The petitioner appearing in person said, "Allegations are very serious."
Justice Sundresh said, "What's the urgency?"
The petition was moved by practicing advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav. The plea fields serious charges against the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, cross-examining the administrative and financial management of billions in public offerings.
The controversy ignited earlier this month after opposition leaders and whistleblowers alleged substantial financial leakages. While initial figures pegged the suspected discrepancies at around ₹7 crore to ₹7.5 crore, subsequent political contentions have claimed the potential embezzlement could touch up to ₹200 crore. In response to the public outcry, the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a state-level SIT on June 13 to examine the records.
The Petitioner-in-person raised doubts about the efficacy and legal depth of the state-initiated inquiry. They said that the state's SIT, consisting of administrative officers, lacks specialized credentials in probing complex, multi-jurisdictional financial fraud.
The plea sought stringent interim directions to preserve all digital logs, physical registers, bank statements, and CCTV footage from the temple complex to avoid any tampering with critical evidence.
On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted an SIT following a request from the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ayodhya Ram temple. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.
The matter will now be formally slated for a comprehensive hearing right after the conclusion of the vacation period.
Cause Title: Ajay Kumar Rai Vs. Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust WP (Crl.) No. 241/26 @ Diary No. 37770/26