New Delhi, July 11: The Supreme Court will hear public interest litigations (PILs) on Monday concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust in Ayodhya. These petitions seek judicial oversight into the financial irregularities related to donations and offerings received by the trust.
According to the cause list published on the Supreme Court’s official website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohan will conduct the hearing on July 13.
The cases include a writ petition filed by lawyer Narendra Kumar Goswami, a criminal writ petition against the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust by Ajay Kumar Rai and others, and a petition by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh.
Previously, when Goswami’s petition was mentioned before a bench led by Justices M.M. Sundresh and Shil Nag, the Supreme Court declined to hear it immediately. The petitioner insisted on urgent listing, stating that the allegations were “very serious.”
Questioning the urgency of the matter, the bench led by Justice Sundresh directed that the case be listed after the court reopened following summer vacations.
Goswami’s petition requests the preservation of records and evidence related to donations made to the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. It also seeks to enhance transparency in the management of offerings at the temple.
According to the petition, the offerings made to the deity are considered “sacred trust property,” held by the deity as a legal entity. Those managing such offerings are trustees bound by duties of transparency, accountability, and preservation.
The petition demands the immediate preservation of all records, CCTV footage, and digital logs associated with donations and offerings at the temple. Additionally, it requests a sealed status report on the ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and an independent forensic audit of all donations and valuable items received since the trust’s establishment.
The petition also urges the Supreme Court to direct the establishment of constitutional safeguards for the transparent handling of public donations and offerings at temples of national significance.
Referencing recent events, the petition notes that the issue arose following public reports and a three-member SIT formed by the Uttar Pradesh government, which uncovered irregularities, embezzlement, and mismanagement of donations at the temple.
Meanwhile, MP Sudhakar Singh has called for the ongoing investigation to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. His petition also seeks the formation of a temporary oversight committee monitored by the court.
This committee would include retired judicial officers and financial experts. It would oversee the trust’s financial matters, ensure the preservation of all financial records, halt major financial decisions until the investigation is complete, conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, and publish audited financial statements and donation logs on the trust’s official website.
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