New Delhi, August 17: The Supreme Court held a hearing on Monday regarding petitions demanding an independent investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The bench, comprising Chief Justice (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohan, denied the request to make the status report public.
The petitions filed in the Supreme Court call for an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a forensic audit of the financial transactions of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and the preservation of all financial records of the Trust. They also seek to prevent the Trust from making significant financial decisions until the investigation is concluded.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, stated that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report is ready and has been submitted to the court. The chairman of the SIT was also present in court. Petitioners demanded a copy of the SIT’s status report, to which the CJI responded that they desire a transparent and fair investigation.
The petitioners’ lawyer expressed concern that they have not even received the content of the FIR filed in this case. Another petitioner, Sudhakar Singh’s lawyer, Satyam Singh Rajput, suggested that the total donations received so far should be publicly disclosed. Additionally, they have prepared some reports with an independent chartered accountant, which they intend to submit to the court.
One petitioner raised concerns that the current structure of the Ram Temple Trust could compromise the impartiality of the SIT’s investigation. The CJI assured that the Trust has no control over the SIT. Solicitor General Mehta affirmed that all directives are being followed and noted that details of criminal investigations are shared only between the prosecutor and the accused, not with any outsiders.
CJI Surya Kant emphasized that the SIT was established by the Supreme Court and is therefore accountable to it. The court stated that all parties involved could provide their suggestions regarding the SIT investigation to Tushar Mehta, who would take them seriously.
The petitioners reiterated their demand for the SIT’s status report to be made public. The Supreme Court denied this request, asserting that the SIT is accountable to the court. The court also mentioned that it had previously ordered the inclusion of a forensic auditor in the SIT. Solicitor General Mehta indicated that a new report would be submitted to the Supreme Court within three weeks.
The court instructed the Nirmohi Akhara to rectify deficiencies in their petition, clarifying that their intervention petition is not valid and they may file a separate petition.
Leave a Comment