Ram Temple donations row: SC asks SIT to conclude probe expeditiously, file status report

The Supreme Court has instructed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya to finish its probe quickly and submit a status report. A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, directed the SIT to share its progress in a sealed cover.

The court also invited suggestions from litigants regarding improvements in the transparency and quality of the investigation. Following a July 27 hearing, the SIT, headed by IGP Kiran S, was tasked with examining the alleged embezzlement of donations to the Ram temple. The bench had previously asked the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor in the probe team.

On July 20, the court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to inform it about the possibility of setting up the SIT. On July 13, the bench ordered the Uttar Pradesh Police to submit a status report on the matter and directed the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to respond to petitions seeking a fair and timely investigation into the alleged donations theft.