Supreme Court to Monitor Ayodhya Ram Mandir Donation Probe, Orders Forensic Auditor in SIT

July 27, 2026 : The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it will continue to monitor the investigation into the alleged embezzlement and diversion of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Stressing that its immediate priority is to ensure a fair, impartial, transparent and time-bound investigation, the Court directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to include a forensic auditor in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and ordered the SIT to submit a status report within two weeks.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations and a forensic audit of the Trust’s financial records.

Appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the State had already constituted an SIT headed by Lucknow Inspector General of Police S. Kiran, with the assistance of a Deputy Inspector General and a Senior Superintendent of Police. Accepting the Court’s suggestion, the State agreed to associate a forensic auditor with the SIT to examine the financial trail, accounting records and related transactions.

The Bench clarified that the proceedings were not being closed and that the Court would continue to supervise the investigation. It observed that the immediate focus was to ensure a speedy, independent and high-quality probe, while issues relating to transparency, accountability and further remedial measures would be considered after examining the SIT’s status report. The Court also indicated that additional safeguards could later be introduced to strengthen transparency and financial accountability in the administration of temple donations.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that the SIT should verify donations received from devotees across the country and ascertain whether the funds had actually reached the Trust. He further suggested that details of donations received by the Trust should eventually be published on its official website so that contributors could verify that their donations had been properly accounted for. The Bench observed that the SIT would have unrestricted access to all records necessary for the investigation.

Kamat also proposed that a retired Supreme Court judge be appointed to oversee the investigation. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the suggestion, arguing that such an arrangement was unnecessary since the three-judge Bench was already monitoring the matter. The Court did not issue any direction on this request.

One of the petitions, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeks a CBI investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations and an audit of the Trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Another petition filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav seeks similar reliefs along with directions to the Union Government, the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Trust to protect the interests of devotees and donors, contending that reports of missing funds have eroded public confidence irrespective of the eventual outcome of the investigation.

A separate public interest litigation filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh seeks a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust’s accounts under the supervision of the Supreme Court, preservation of all financial records including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements, and measures to prevent destruction or tampering of evidence. The plea also seeks directions restraining the Trust from undertaking major financial decisions, awarding substantial contracts, making investments or creating third-party rights without prior approval of a proposed court-monitored oversight committee until completion of the investigation. It further seeks publication of audited financial statements, donation records, utilisation of funds and other financial information on the Trust’s official website while protecting confidential donor information.

Another petition filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad seeks a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations. Separately, the Nirmohi Akhara has approached the apex court seeking restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust into a public trust, contending that its present structure lacks adequate accountability and is inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya judgment.

The Supreme Court also noted that the Uttar Pradesh Police had already registered an FIR in connection with the allegations and that the State Government had subsequently constituted the SIT to investigate the matter. It recalled that the Allahabad High Court had declined to entertain similar petitions in order to avoid parallel proceedings while the matter was pending before the apex court. Reiterating its earlier observations, the Bench emphasised that the controversy should not be politicised and that its present focus would remain on ensuring a thorough, independent and transparent investigation before considering any further directions.