SC to Hear PILs Seeking Probe into Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust Finances

July 13, 2026

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) on Monday seeking a court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the management of donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

As per the cause list published on the apex court’s official website, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will take up the petitions for hearing.

Petitions Seek Court-Monitored Probe and Transparency

The matters include a writ petition filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, a criminal writ petition by Ajay Kumar Rai and another petitioner against the Trust and others, and a separate petition filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing on Goswami’s plea after it was mentioned before a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Sheel Nagu. While the petitioner argued that the allegations were “very serious”, the court directed that the matter be listed after the summer vacation.

Goswami’s petition seeks directions for the preservation of records and evidence relating to donations made at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple and calls for greater transparency in the administration of temple offerings.

Forensic Audit, SIT Report Among Key Demands

According to the plea, offerings made to a deity in a public temple constitute “sacred trust property” vested in the deity as a juristic person, making those handling the donations responsible for ensuring transparency, accountability and proper preservation.

The petition seeks immediate preservation of all records, CCTV footage and digital logs relating to donations and offerings. It also requests a sealed status report of the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and an independent forensic audit of all donations, offerings and valuables received by the Trust since its inception.

Additionally, the petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to frame constitutional safeguards for transparent management of public donations in temples of national importance.

RJD MP Seeks CBI Probe

Referring to recent developments, the plea states that public reports and the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to constitute a three-member SIT allegedly revealed irregularities, misappropriation and mishandling of donations at the temple.

Meanwhile, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh has sought the transfer of the ongoing investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.

His petition also seeks the appointment of a temporary court-monitored oversight committee comprising retired judicial officers and financial experts to oversee the Trust’s financial affairs, preserve financial records, restrict major financial decisions during the investigation, conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, and publish audited financial statements and donation records on the Trust’s official website.