SC to hear CBI petitions on Ram temple donations July 13

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear multiple petitions on Monday, July 13, seeking an independent, court-monitored investigation into allegations of financial irregularities and donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will consider three petitions calling for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a forensic audit of the temple trust's finances.

The petitions, filed by individuals including Narendra Kumar Goswami, advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, and RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, argue that the current investigation by a state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) is insufficient. They seek a comprehensive, time-bound investigation by a unified agency with expertise in complex financial crimes to ensure public confidence. The pleas also request directions to preserve all financial records, restrain the trust from major financial decisions without oversight, and mandate the publication of audited financial statements on the trust's official website.

The controversy emerged in early June following allegations of misappropriation during the counting of...