SC Notice to Centre, UP, Temple Trust on Ram Mandir Donation Theft

The Supreme Court of India on Monday, July 13, 2026, took significant steps regarding allegations of financial irregularities and embezzlement concerning donations received for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana, issued notices to the Union Government, the State of Uttar Pradesh, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. This judicial intervention follows a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) seeking an independent investigation, specifically by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the alleged theft and misappropriation of public funds. Among the petitioners, Narendra Kumar Goswami, a petitioner-in-person, sought a CBI probe and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav filed another petition seeking a fair and time-bound probe by a CBI-led multidisciplinary SIT into the alleged financial irregularities and illegalities concerning the trust's affairs and administration. RJD MP Sudhakar Singh also filed a PIL seeking a forensic audit of the entire finances of the temple trust and a CBI probe under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court specifically directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was previously constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government, to submit a comprehensive status report on its findings to date. This report is required to detail the progress of the investigation and must also disclose the specific composition of the SIT. During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for both the Centre and the State, indicated that the requested status report would be submitted in a sealed cover, citing that the investigation is ongoing. The bench, however, did not accede to the petitioners' request for a copy of the status report at this stage. The Uttar Pradesh government had constituted the three-member SIT on June 13, 2026, following a request from the temple trust after allegations of misappropriation of donations surfaced. The SIT is headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and includes Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan. The petitioners have raised concerns regarding the current SIT's capacity to handle the matter, arguing that the state-level team lacks the necessary forensic and investigative infrastructure required for a complex financial probe of this scale. Allegations of donation theft and embezzlement came to light in the first week of June after irregularities were reported during the counting of offerings at the Ram temple. An FIR was registered, and the Uttar Pradesh Police have already arrested eight individuals in connection with the case. These accused include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu. An Ayodhya court extended the judicial custody of all eight accused by another 14 days, until July 27, 2026. Preliminary SIT inquiries revealed critical security flaws in the temple's counting rooms, with CCTV footage allegedly capturing multiple instances of cash pilferage. In response to these developments, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to publish details of the Ram Temple's monthly income on its website to enhance transparency. Organisational changes and a new leadership team are also expected within the Trust by July 22, 2026. The Supreme Court has posted the matter for further hearing on July 20, 2026.

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