SC tells UP to form senior IPS-led SIT for Ram Temple probe

The Supreme Court on Monday, July 20, directed the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of embezzlement involving donations to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, while strongly cautioning against politicizing the case. The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, asked the state to obtain instructions on forming an SIT led by a senior Indian Police Service officer experienced in handling similar investigations.

The court was hearing multiple petitions seeking an independent probe, including by the Central Bureau of Investigation, into alleged financial irregularities concerning the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the court that an investigation was ongoing and that eight people had been arrested. He stated that an initial SIT, formed on June 13 at the trust's request, had determined a cognizable offence existed, after which the probe was taken over by regular police.

Chief Justice Kant emphasized that the matter should be treated as a straightforward criminal case requiring a fair and...