Ram Temple Donation Row: SC Refuses Urgent Listing of PIL Seeking Court-Monitored Probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to urgently hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that demands a court-monitored probe and a forensic audit into how the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust handles donations and offerings. The petition alleges financial irregularities linked to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

When the litigant pressed for an urgent listing before a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu, they emphasized that the plea raised “very serious” allegations. The litigant also expressed apprehensions over how the Uttar Pradesh state government is dealing with the matter.

However, the Bench led by Justice Sundresh questioned the immediacy of the request.

“What’s the urgency?” the Bench asked, before directing the registry to list the plea immediately after the court reopens post-summer vacation.

Advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami filed the writ petition in his personal capacity. His plea seeks directions to preserve records and evidence relating to donations at the temple, while demanding greater transparency in the administration of temple offerings.

The plea argues that offerings to a deity in a public temple constitute “sacred trust property” that vests in the deity as a juristic person. Consequently, the individuals handling these offerings act as fiduciaries who owe duties of transparency, accountability, and preservation to the public.

Specifically, the petition seeks the immediate preservation of:

• All physical evidence and records
• CCTV footage
• Digital logs relating to donations and offerings at the Ayodhya temple

The PIL also urges the apex court to direct authorities to formulate minimum constitutional safeguards for the transparent handling of donations in temples of national importance.

According to the plea, the cause of action arose in June 2026 when public reports and the Uttar Pradesh government’s constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed allegations of irregularities, misappropriation, and mishandling of temple offerings. The petition clarifies that it focuses strictly on the secular administration of donations and does not seek interference in religious rituals, customs, or denominational matters.

Police Recover Jewellery and Documents in Criminal Probe

Meanwhile, the ongoing criminal investigation into the matter intensified over the weekend. Police conducted searches at the residences of all eight individuals arrested in connection with the alleged misappropriation. On Sunday, investigators recovered jewellery and documents from the house of one of the accused.

The police registered the FIR following a complaint from a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which came after a preliminary SIT report flagged multiple irregularities.

A local court remanded the accused to judicial custody until June 29. Police officials stated that further action will depend on upcoming interrogations and a thorough review of CCTV-based evidence.