The Supreme Court is set to hear a series of petitions on Monday regarding the alleged financial irregularities in handling donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The matters are listed before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
The petitions include filings by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, and Hindu Dharma Parishad. These four issues will be addressed collectively during the hearing.
During a previous session on July 20, the bench led by CJI Surya Kant had urged the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) overseeing the alleged irregularities. The court emphasized the need for a fair investigation led by a senior IPS officer to ensure a conclusive outcome.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the court that progress was being made in the investigation, with eight individuals already arrested. He highlighted that the police, under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police, were actively conducting inquiries.
The apex court clarified that the earlier SIT was focused on verifying allegations and not conducting a criminal investigation. It suggested reconstituting the SIT under a senior IPS officer familiar with the case to ensure a thorough ongoing investigation.
