Supreme Court Cautions Against Politicising Ram Mandir Donation Theft Case, Weighs SIT-Led Probe

New Delhi, July 20, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday cautioned against politicising the alleged embezzlement of donations collected for the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, saying the matter should be treated purely as a criminal investigation and not a political issue.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan was hearing a batch of public interest litigation (PIL) petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged diversion and embezzlement of funds meant for the temple's construction. The Court made it clear that its focus was to ensure a fair investigation, Live Law and Bar & Bench reported.

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"Don't politicise the issue. Courts are not a place for politics. It's a simple case of commission of crime. We are just to ensure proper investigation," CJI Kant observed.

Court Focuses On Fair Probe

During the hearing, the Bench reviewed a status report submitted by the Uttar Pradesh government in compliance with its earlier directions.

When the CJI asked who was currently investigating the case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, informed the Court that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had initially examined the allegations and found that a cognisable offence was made out. The investigation has since been taken over by the State police.

The Solicitor General also informed the Court that eight persons have been arrested so far, but declined to disclose further details as the investigation is ongoing.

The Court then asked the State to clarify whether an SIT comprising senior officers could be constituted to carry out the investigation. Mehta assured the Bench that the government would take instructions and place its decision on record.

"We will take up the matter after three to four days and examine the aspect of investigation. The SIT had senior members. Please have instructions on whether an SIT can be formed for investigation," the CJI said.

The matter has now been posted for hearing on July 27, when the Court is expected to pass further directions after examining the status report.

Petitioners Seek Transparency

Appearing for one of the petitioners, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat argued that the case raised larger questions about accountability in handling public donations collected for the temple.

He urged the Court to direct that donation receipts issued during the temple construction be preserved and uploaded so that devotees could verify whether their contributions had been properly accounted for.

While the Court agreed that proper records should be maintained, it did not favour making all donation details publicly available, observing that such disclosures could invite false claims.

"Wherever receipts are given, that record should be there," the CJI said.

Other petitioners sought directions to preserve digital evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic records and financial documents, besides requesting that the FIR registered in the case be uploaded to ensure transparency.

The Solicitor General assured the Court that all records, including digital evidence, were being preserved. However, the Bench did not pass any directions on uploading the FIR or sharing the status report with the petitioners.

The CJI also questioned the need for multiple intervention applications, asking why numerous parties were seeking to participate in the proceedings.

Multiple Pleas Before Court

Among the petitions before the Court is one filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, who contend that allegations of dishonest misappropriation and embezzlement of public donations warrant registration of a criminal case and a time-bound investigation by the CBI.

They argued that the existing SIT lacks the specialised forensic and investigative infrastructure required for a complex financial probe. The petition also states that the SIT began its inquiry before an FIR was registered, potentially weakening the evidentiary value of its findings.

Drawing a comparison with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam adulterated ghee case, the petition cites the Supreme Court's October 2024 order in Subramanian Swamy v. State of Andhra Pradesh, where the Court replaced the State SIT with an independent multidisciplinary SIT headed by the CBI.

The petitioners have also sought interim directions to preserve all physical, electronic and financial records, including donation registers, ledgers, bank records, software databases and CCTV footage.

Another petition has been filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh, who has sought transfer of the investigation to the CBI under the Supreme Court's supervision.

Singh has also sought the constitution of a temporary court-monitored oversight committee comprising retired judicial officers, financial experts and persons of "impeccable integrity" to oversee the Trust's financial and administrative affairs during the investigation.

His petition further seeks preservation of account books, bank records, UPI transaction logs, emails, servers and CCTV footage to prevent destruction or tampering of evidence. It also asks the Court to direct the Trust to publish audited financial statements, donation details and fund utilisation on its official website while protecting donors' personal information.

Another petitioner, Narendra Kumar Goswami, has sought a CBI investigation along with an audit of the Trust's finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Meanwhile, the Hindu Dharma Parishad has also approached the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation into the allegations.

Separately, the Nirmohi Akhara has moved the apex court seeking restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust into a public trust, arguing that its present structure lacks adequate accountability and is inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court's 2019 Ayodhya judgment.

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Petitions seeking similar high-level probes had earlier been filed before the Allahabad High Court. However, the High Court declined to entertain them to avoid parallel proceedings after the Uttar Pradesh police registered an FIR following an inquiry conducted by the State-appointed SIT.

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