In a new turn of events regarding the management of money received by the nation’s most popular religious monument, the Supreme Court of India ordered on Monday the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh government to produce a complete status report regarding its probe into the possible embezzlement of donations made to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana has issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, emphasizing that their response is necessary before the Court moves ahead.
Supreme Court orders government to make officers names known
The decision came amidst an ongoing probe by the Uttar Pradesh Police wherein eight people have been arrested after filing a preliminary charge sheet based on findings made by the SIT.
During Monday’s high-stakes hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh administration alongside Senior Additional Advocate General Sharan Dev Singh Thakur, assured the bench that the state’s probe is moving aggressively. However, the bench made it clear that it plans to evaluate the SIT’s efficiency firsthand.
“We would like to know who the members of the SIT are. File a status report. After seeing the report, we may issue some additional directions,” Chief Justice Surya Kant observed.
Multiple Petitions Seek CBI Mandate and Stringent CAG Financial Audits
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) filed by diverse parties, all raising concerns over the alleged diversion of public and digital donations:
Narendra Kumar Goswami (Petitioner-in-Person): Demanding an immediate transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), combined with a statutory audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai & Dinesh Kumar Yadav: Seeking a time-bound, independent federal probe into the systemic diversion of funds collected across India.
Sudhakar Singh (RJD Member of Parliament): Pressing for a court-monitored CBI investigation and a deep forensic audit of all assets held by the Trust.
Demands for asset freezes and public balance sheets
Petitioner’s proposed safeguards are a core legal objective & mandate
Evidence preservation: immediate locking of all physical books, digital ledgers, UPI logs, and bank statements to prevent tampering.
Administrative restraints barring the Trust from executing major contracts, investments, or transferring property without prior court-monitored oversight approval.
Public transparency archive mandating the publication of audited financial statements, cash tallies, and gold/silver asset records on the Trust’s official website.
The petitioners are demanding a full, retroactive accounting of every donation—including cash, digital transfers, foreign contributions, and physical valuables like gold and silver—received since the Trust’s formation. By demanding the SIT’s roster and progress logs, the Supreme Court has signaled that the financial management of the historic temple will remain under intense judicial scrutiny.
