Ram temple donation ‘theft’: RJD MP moves Supreme Court seeking audit of temple trust finances

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh has moved the Supreme Court to direct the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to prepare and produce a complete statement of all donations, including foreign contributions, received by it since its constitution.

Mr. Singh has further sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of embezzlement of donations to the Ram Temple.

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

“The preservation of public confidence in one of the most revered religious institutions of the country, and the need for constitutional safeguards to ensure that the ongoing investigation into allegations concerning the handling of devotees’ offerings must be fair, independent and inspire the confidence of the nation,” the petition said.

The petition said the statement of donations and offerings must include cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, gold, silver and other valuables, together with the particulars of their accounting, custody and utilisation.

Material evidence

Mr. Singh sought the court to intervene and order the preservation of physical, electronic and digital records, including books of accounts, cash books, ledgers, vouchers, bank records, UPI and other digital payment records, CCTV footage, electronic devices, servers, emails and every other record relating to the receipt, custody, accounting and utilisation of donations and offerings received by the Trust in order to ensure that no material evidence was destroyed, altered or tampered with during the course of the investigation.

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

Mr. Singh submitted that the court should bar any major financial or administrative decision involving utilisation of Trust funds, award of substantial contracts, creation of third-party rights, alienation of Trust assets, investments or other significant financial commitments without the approval of the proposed committee.

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