New Delhi, July 11: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday, July 13, a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) seeking a court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.
According to the causelist published on the Supreme Court’s official website, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will hear the petitions.
The matters listed for hearing include:
- A writ petition filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami.
- A criminal writ petition filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and another petitioner against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and others.
- A separate petition filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing on Goswami’s plea after it was mentioned before a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu, directing that it be listed after the court’s summer vacation.
Goswami’s petition seeks directions for preserving records and evidence related to donations made at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and calls for greater transparency in the administration of temple offerings.
The petition argues that offerings made to a deity in a public temple constitute “sacred trust property”, with those managing such offerings acting as fiduciaries responsible for transparency, accountability and preservation.
Among the key reliefs sought are:
- Preservation of all financial records, CCTV footage and digital logs related to donations and offerings.
- A sealed status report on the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
- An independent forensic audit of all donations, offerings and valuables received by the Trust since its inception.
- Framing of constitutional safeguards to ensure transparent management of donations at temples of national importance.
The petition states that the cause of action arose following media reports and the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to constitute a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine allegations of irregularities, misappropriation and mishandling of temple donations.
The allegations are currently under investigation, and no judicial findings have been made on their merits.
In a separate petition, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh has sought transfer of the ongoing investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.
His petition also requests:
- Appointment of a temporary court-monitored oversight committee comprising retired judicial officers and financial experts.
- Preservation of all financial records.
- Restrictions on major financial decisions by the Trust until completion of the investigation.
- A comprehensive forensic audit.
- Publication of audited financial statements and donation records on the Trust’s official website.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the batch of petitions on Monday.
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