Supreme Court to Hear Ram Temple Donation Case on July 13

The alleged theft of devotees' donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has reached the Supreme Court of India. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant will hear the matter on July 13. The bench also includes Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan, and is expected to hear three separate petitions related to the case.

The petitioners have requested that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted under the supervision of the Supreme Court. They argue that the case concerns the faith of millions of devotees and therefore requires an independent, transparent and impartial investigation.

The petitions also seek a forensic audit of the financial records of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by an independent agency. In addition, the petitioners have urged the court to direct the trust to make information regarding donations and offerings publicly available through its official website, preferably in real time, to ensure transparency and public accountability.

The petitions have been filed by advocates Narendra Kumar Goswami, Ajay Kumar Rai and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh. One of the petitions further requests the court to declare all offerings made by devotees as sacred trust property and to frame appropriate guidelines for their transparent management and protection.

According to the petitioners, the issue goes beyond alleged financial irregularities and directly concerns the religious faith and trust of millions of devotees. They contend that a transparent system for handling temple donations is essential to maintain public confidence in the institution.

The Supreme Court's hearing on July 13 is expected to be closely watched, as it may determine whether an independent investigation is required and whether additional measures should be introduced to improve transparency in the management of temple donations.