Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust's financial row: Petition filed in SC seeks court-monitored probe

New Delhi: A fresh petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged financial irregularities of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

The petition sought registration of an FIR and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the reported missing funds, financial irregularities, mismanagement, and other alleged illegalities concerning the affairs and administration of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

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The petition filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav also sought direction to the Trust and the Uttar Pradesh government to preserve all physical, digital and financial records, including donation registers, audit reports, CCTV footage, bank records and other documents related to the receipt, accounting and utilisation of the Trust's donations and assets.

It further sought directions restraining the Trust and the government from destroying, altering, tampering with, transferring or otherwise dealing with any record, asset, fund, document or electronic data connected with the matter.

The petitioners further prayed Trust, Uttar Pradesh government, and the Union of India constitute and operationalise such regulatory, supervisory, and audit mechanisms as may be necessary to safeguard public interest and maintain the confidence of millions of devotees and donors.

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The plea stated, "Opaque funds/ assets handling by an institution serving in a fiduciary capacity directly impacts faith, sentiments, and confidence of countless devotees and members of the public who have voluntarily donated funds for the construction of Bhagwan Shri Ram Temple at Janmbhoomi."

The petition also raises doubts on the utility of the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the allegations of missing funds and accounting discrepancies.

It claims that the mandate, powers and scope of investigation of the enquiry at the state level are not clear and might not be adequate to deal with the complexity of the allegations, it added.

"Special Investigation Team constituted by the State of Uttar Pradesh has

commenced its inquiry without the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) or any regular criminal case. In such circumstances, the evidentiary value and admissibility of material collected during the inquiry may remain vulnerable to challenge, potentially undermining future prosecution, if any," the plea stated.

Asking the apex court to intervene, the petition said intervention of this Court has become imperative to preserve institutional integrity, uphold the rule of law and maintain public confidence in the administration and management of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The petition further submitted that the scope of reference of the ongoing SIT inquiry remains unclear and the initial stages of a criminal investigation are crucial for preserving evidence, warning that any delay could lead to tampering with material evidence and hamper timely investigative measures.

The petition contended that such measures may be beyond the scope of the SIT's preliminary inquiry and sought an independent and impartial investigation to ascertain the truth and ensure accountability if any wrongdoing is established.

Earlier, an advocate had sent a letter petition to the Supreme Court alleging concerns over alleged misappropriation, disappearance and irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings made by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.