The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions on Monday, July 13, related to allegations of misappropriation of donations collected for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The petitions seek directions for an independent investigation beyond the existing inquiry by the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT), including requests for a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Petitioners also seek steps such as a forensic audit covering the trust’s entire finances.
According to reports, the matter is already under investigation in Uttar Pradesh. An SIT is probing the alleged theft and alleged financial irregularities involving the donations received by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The SIT has been granted additional time—15 days—to complete its investigation and is expected to submit a final report to the Uttar Pradesh government by July 15. Investigators have submitted a preliminary report, and eight accused have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
The reports also note that the Supreme Court recently declined to urgently list one petition seeking registration of an FIR and a court-monitored investigation. The July 13 hearing is expected to consider whether an independent probe is warranted in addition to the SIT inquiry.