The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant an urgent hearing for a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a multi-agency investigation into the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A vacation bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu observed that “heavens are not going to fall” if the matter is taken up after the court resumes regular functioning following the summer recess. The bench directed that the petition be listed in due course once the registry and competent authority are satisfied regarding the urgency of the matter.
The petitions, jointly filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, seek the constitution of a multidisciplinary Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe financial irregularities. Appearing in person, Ajay Kumar Rai urged the court for an expedited hearing, expressing serious apprehensions regarding the integrity of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Uttar Pradesh state authorities. The petitioner argued that the allegations are of a grave nature, involving the potential diversion of billions in public offerings.
Advocate NK Goswami, who filed a separate but similar petition, also mentioned his case before the same bench, emphasizing the need for immediate intervention to prevent the tampering of electronic evidence. Goswami submitted that critical records, including CCTV footage and digital logs, must be preserved to ensure a fair and independent inquiry. He informed the court that the registry had previously indicated the matter would only be listed after the conclusion of the vacation period.
The legal challenge raises significant doubts about the efficacy of the state-level SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13. The petitioners contend that an investigation led by administrative officers lacks the specialized forensic and investigative infrastructure required to handle complex, multi-jurisdictional financial fraud. They further highlighted that the state SIT commenced its inquiry without the initial registration of a First Information Report (FIR), which they argue could render the evidentiary value of its findings vulnerable to future legal challenges.
The controversy gained momentum following reports of a 2020 audit by a private firm that had predicted a “mess” in donation management. The audit report, submitted months after the formation of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, had described the management as “highly unprofessional” and noted the absence of systematic records for financial reporting. The firm had recommended the immediate implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to fix accountability, a measure that reportedly remained unaddressed as the trust received an estimated ₹3,500 crore in cash donations.
Recent preliminary findings by the state SIT have already flagged serious lapses in cash handling and security protocols. The investigation revealed that mandatory SOPs, such as the frisking of staff, the use of pocketless uniforms, and the deployment of security guards during cash counting, were systematically ignored. Furthermore, it was discovered that CCTV footage was only retained for 45 days despite a mandate to preserve it for 180 days.
The ongoing probe has led to the arrest of eight individuals associated with the temple's outsourced cash-counting operations. Investigators have reportedly recovered approximately ₹79.85 lakh in cash from seven of the accused, while the probe widens to trace whether funds were converted into movable or immovable assets. Among those arrested is Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu Yadav, the former driver of the Trust’s general secretary, who allegedly held unauthorized keys to several donation boxes.
Case title: Ajay Kumar Rai v. Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, WP (Crl.) No. 241/26.
