Supreme Court Postpones Urgent Hearing Request on Ram Mandir Donation Case
The Supreme Court of India has chosen not to expedite the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) that calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged financial discrepancies and missing donations related to the Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya. This decision came on Monday when Advocate NK Goswami presented the matter before a vacation bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Sanjeev Sachdeva.
During the session, Advocate Goswami stressed the possibility of tampering with electronic evidence, urging the Court to prioritize the hearing to ensure the preservation of crucial evidence. Despite these concerns, the vacation bench denied the request for an urgent listing, advising the petitioners to submit a copy of the petition to the court’s registry for a regular scheduling.
The PIL, filed by Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, lists as respondents the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the State of Uttar Pradesh, and the Union of India. The petition outlines accusations of unethical misappropriation, diversion, and embezzlement of public donations intended for the temple’s construction. It demands a formal case registration and an independent, prompt investigation.
Currently, a special investigation team (SIT) from Uttar Pradesh is examining these allegations. However, the petition argues that the SIT lacks the necessary forensic and investigative capabilities to handle such a complex financial investigation. Furthermore, the plea criticizes the SIT for starting the inquiry without registering a first information report (FIR), which could undermine the validity of its findings.
The petition draws attention to the Supreme Court’s October 2024 decision in Subramanian Swamy v. State of Andhra Pradesh, where a state SIT was replaced by an independent, multidisciplinary team led by the CBI in a similar case involving the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
More Read
In light of these precedents, the petitioners have requested interim orders directing the Trust and the State to safeguard all physical, electronic, and financial records. These include donation registers, ledgers, CCTV footage, bank records, and software databases. They have also sought to prevent any party from altering this evidence until the petition is fully resolved.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider this matter after its summer recess, with no specific date set for the next hearing.
Read Live Coverage
Plea concerning Ram Temple fund misallocation case
Advocate Goswami emphasized the risk of tampering with electronic evidence, while Justice MM Sundresh recommended submitting a mention slip for the case.
