Supreme Court of India Hears Ram Temple Donation Theft Pleas

The Supreme Court of India is presiding over several petitions regarding alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana is scheduled to hear four separate petitions on July 20. On July 13, the court directed a Special Investigation Team, established by the Government of Uttar Pradesh on June 13, to submit a status report on its investigation. The court also issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for its response.

Petitioners including RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and Narendra Kumar Goswami are seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, a forensic audit, and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. These legal challenges follow the July 6 resignations of Trustee Anil Mishra and General Secretary Champat Rai amid the financial controversies.

Adding to the legal pressure, the Shri Panch Ramanandi Nirmohi Akhara filed a miscellaneous application requesting the restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The Akhara argues the current body operates as a private trust lacking statutory oversight and fails to provide the representation mandated by the 2019 Ayodhya judgment. The plea seeks to reconstitute the body as a public trust, conduct a forensic audit of property and financial transactions, and restore the original deities to the sanctum sanctorum.