The Supreme Court will resume hearing on Monday on petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into alleged Ram temple donation irregularities. Uttar Pradesh’s stand on reconstituting the SIT is expected, while the court continues to stress a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to resume hearing on Monday a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged financial irregularities involving donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The hearing is expected to focus on the Uttar Pradesh government’s response regarding the possible reconstitution of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), as previously suggested by the apex court.
According to the official cause list, the matter will be heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana. The bench will hear together multiple petitions filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh, and the Hindu Dharma Parishad.
The petitions seek an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged irregularities in the handling of donations collected by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust during the construction of the Ram temple. Petitioners have also sought stronger safeguards to preserve financial records and improve transparency in the management of temple funds.
During the previous hearing held on July 20, the CJI-led bench had advised the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the SIT. The court observed that the ongoing investigation should be supervised by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer familiar with the case to ensure a comprehensive and impartial inquiry.
The Supreme Court had underlined that the investigation must be carried through to its “logical conclusion” while cautioning all parties against politicising the proceedings. The bench remarked that courts are meant to uphold justice and are “not a place for politics.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the court during the earlier hearing that a detailed status report had already been submitted in a sealed cover in accordance with the court’s directions. He stated that the investigation remains active and that eight individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the case.
The Solicitor General clarified that the earlier SIT had only been formed to verify the authenticity of the allegations and was not directly conducting the criminal investigation. He explained that the police investigation is currently being carried out under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police.
However, the apex court noted that the original SIT had included senior officials, including IAS and IPS officers, and suggested that the ongoing investigation could be transferred to a reconstituted SIT headed by a senior IPS officer already familiar with the matter. The court indicated that it would issue further directions if necessary after consulting the state government.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing one of the petitioners, requested the court to direct the preservation of all records relating to donations received during the construction of the Ram temple. He also proposed that these records be uploaded on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s official website, enabling donors to verify whether their contributions had reached the intended destination.
The Supreme Court observed that while making every record publicly available online might not be practical, all receipts and financial documents should be properly maintained wherever donations have been accepted. Responding to these concerns, the Solicitor General assured the bench that all relevant records, including CCTV footage and digital evidence, are being preserved.
Earlier, on July 13, the Supreme Court had issued notices in the connected petitions and directed the Uttar Pradesh government’s SIT to submit a detailed status report outlining its composition and progress of the inquiry. The report was subsequently filed before the court in a sealed cover.
Among the reliefs sought by the petitioners are preservation of financial records, enhanced transparency in temple fund administration, publication of audited financial statements, donation logs, a comprehensive forensic audit, and, in one petition, transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under direct monitoring by the Supreme Court.
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The outcome of Monday’s hearing is expected to clarify the Uttar Pradesh government’s position on reconstituting the SIT and determine the future course of the court-monitored proceedings into the alleged Ram temple donation irregularities.
