A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday submitted its status report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court in connection with alleged financial irregularities involving donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions related to the matter.
The petitions include a writ petition filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, a criminal writ petition by petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, a separate plea by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, and another petition filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad. The petitioners have sought a court-monitored probe into the alleged irregularities in the handling of temple donations and offerings.
Goswami's plea seeks the preservation of financial records and greater transparency in the Trust's administration. Singh, meanwhile, has sought the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Supreme Court's supervision. He has also requested a forensic audit, the publication of audited financial statements, and the formation of a court-monitored oversight committee.
Earlier, while issuing notice in the case, the bench had directed the SIT to submit a status report detailing the progress of the investigation and the composition of the team. The order, passed on July 13, came after submissions that multiple FIRs had already been registered in connection with the allegations.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the court that the report would be submitted in a sealed cover, citing the ongoing investigation.
When the petitioners sought access to the report, Mehta opposed the request, stating that sharing its contents at this stage could hamper the probe. The bench declined the request, observing that the probe is still underway.
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