SC orders forensic auditor for Ram temple donation probe

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor in the Special Investigation Team probing allegations of embezzled donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, also ordered the SIT to submit a status report on its investigation within two weeks.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, informed the court that a reconstituted SIT, now headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S, had taken charge of the investigation. The team includes a deputy inspector general and a senior superintendent of police. Mehta agreed to the court's suggestion to add a forensic auditor to the probe.

The hearing addressed multiple petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and an independent audit of the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple. Senior advocate Devdatt Kamat, appearing for one petitioner, argued that donations collected from devotees across the country had allegedly not reached the trust. He urged for transparency measures, such as publishing donation receipts online.