Ayodhya : The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. A bench led by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The court also directed the SIT, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government, to submit a status report detailing the progress of the investigation along with the composition of the probe team.
The Chief Justice observed that since an SIT had already been constituted and the investigation was underway, the court wanted to examine the progress made so far before considering further reliefs sought by the petitioners. The Solicitor General informed the court that the status report would be filed in a sealed cover. When the petitioners sought a copy of the report, the Solicitor General opposed the request. The bench also made a light-hearted remark during the proceedings, telling one of the lawyers, “You don’t need to shout here because you need to preserve your voice for outside”.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh has also approached the Supreme Court, seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation along with a forensic audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s finances. His petition further urges the court to direct authorities to preserve all financial records—including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements—to prevent any possible tampering with evidence. A similar petition has also been filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad.
The controversy came to light following allegations of irregularities in the handling of donations received at the Ram Temple. In response, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Police subsequently registered an FIR and arrested eight accused as part of the ongoing investigation.
A preliminary inquiry by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) reportedly uncovered major security lapses in the Ram Temple’s donation counting room.
According to the findings, some staff members allegedly hid bundles of cash in their clothes, pockets, shoes and other personal belongings while handling donations. The probe further indicated that the alleged misappropriation of funds was not an isolated incident but part of a systematic and recurring pattern, prompting investigators to widen the scope of the investigation.
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