Ram temple endowment ‘theft’: RJD MP moves Supreme Court to seek audit of temple trust’s finances

The Petitioner requested an independent interim oversight committee monitored by the Supreme Court to oversee the financial and administrative affairs of the Trust during the investigation. File. | Photo credit: The Hindu

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh directed the Supreme Court to direct the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to prepare and submit a full statement of all donations, including foreign contributions, received since its inception.

Mr. Singh further asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations of misappropriation of donations to the Ram Temple.

The petition, filed by the MP through advocates Satyam Singh Rajput and Jaswanthi A, said it was of “extraordinary public importance” to ensure the administration of the Trust and protect the offerings of millions of devotees.

“Maintaining public confidence in one of the nation’s most revered religious institutions and the need for constitutional safeguards to ensure that ongoing investigations into allegations of abuse of devotees’ offerings must be fair, independent and command the nation’s confidence,” the petition reads.

The petition states that declarations of gifts and offerings must include cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, gold, silver and other valuables along with details of their accounting, custody and use.

Material evidence

Mr. Singh requested the court to intervene and order the preservation of physical, electronic and digital records including ledgers, cash books, account books, vouchers, bank records, UPI and other digital payment records, CCTV records, electronic devices, servers, emails and all other records relating to receipt, custody, accounting and utilization of donations and offerings received by the Trust to ensure that none of them are destroyed or destroyed to ensure that no altered material was destroyed during the course. investigation.

He said that an independent Supreme Court-monitored interim oversight committee comprising former judicial officers, financial experts and persons of impeccable integrity must be constituted to oversee the secular financial and administrative affairs of the Trust during the investigation without interfering with religious rituals, customs or practices associated with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.

Mr Singh said the court should prohibit any major financial or administrative decision regarding the use of trust funds, the award of major contracts, the creation of third party rights, the alienation of Trust assets, investments or other major financial commitments without the approval of the proposed committee.

He also sought a comprehensive forensic audit of the accounts, donations, bank transactions and financial records of the Trust by an independent agency of unquestionable credibility and submitted the report to the Supreme Court. He said that proper accounts of donations and offerings received must be published at regular intervals to ensure complete transparency.

Published – 03 Jul 2026 23:20 IST