The Supreme Court on Thursday asked a petitioner to approach it on June 29 for listing of his PIL seeking registration of an FIR and a fair, time-bound probe into the alleged embezzlement of funds of the Ayodhya Ram Temple by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary special investigation team (SIT).
The petitioners — advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav — have sought directions to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for constituting and operationalising such regulatory, supervisory and audit mechanisms as may be necessary to safeguard public interest and maintain the confidence of millions of devotees and donors.
On Thursday, one of the petitioners mentioned the matter before a Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Joymalya Bagchi requesting it to list it for hearing on Monday. “This is a PIL and it relates to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. It has been numbered but no date is shown,” the petitioner told the Bench which said if there was no deficiency in the petition, the top court’s Registry would process it.
As the petitioner said the petition was registered and there were no deficiencies and that it should be listed for hearing on June 29, the Bench said, “You mention it on Monday.”
The controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of funds of the Ayodhya Ram Temple reached the Supreme Court on June 22, with two advocates filing a petition seeking registration of an FIR and a fair and time-bound probe into it by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary SIT.
The petitioners submitted that the SIT should investigate the alleged financial irregularities and other purported “illegalities” concerning the affairs and administration of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
On June 13, the Uttar Pradesh Government set up a three-member SIT at the request of the temple trust to look into allegations of financial irregularities and misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
The SIT comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S., and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan has already begun its inquiry without the registration of an FIR or any formal criminal case. The SIT was asked to submit a preliminary report in seven days and the final report in 15 days.
The SIT submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh Government on June 23.
“Whether or not the reports regarding missing funds and other alleged irregularities concerning the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust are ultimately found to be true, such reports have caused deep concern among the generations that struggled for the restoration of the glory of Ayodhya,” the petitioners submitted.
“The reports of missing funds and other alleged irregularities should be independently verified through a professional investigation conducted by a single agency equipped with the expertise, resources and institutional framework required for complex financial and criminal probes.
“Such an inquiry would inspire greater public confidence than a preliminary probe conducted by a special investigation team (SIT) comprising administrative officers who may not possess specialised credentials in criminal investigation,” they said, adding the went beyond the possible commission of cognisable offences and directly impacted the faith, sentiments and trust of countless devotees and members of the public.
The petitioners sought the top court’s intervention to maintain public confidence in the administration and management of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
