The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The court emphasized that the probe should be led by a senior IPS officer and brought to a “logical conclusion.”
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta disclosed that a status report had been submitted in a sealed cover in compliance with previous court orders. Mehta mentioned that the investigation was ongoing, with eight individuals already arrested, but refrained from divulging further details at this stage.
The apex court inquired about the composition of the investigating team, to which Mehta clarified that the previous SIT was established to verify the allegations and not to conduct the criminal investigation itself. The court suggested that the ongoing investigation should be overseen by a reconstituted SIT led by a senior IPS officer familiar with the case.
The court indicated that it would revisit the matter the following Monday after reviewing the status report and the state government’s response regarding the proposed reconstitution of the SIT. Emphasizing the need for a fair investigation devoid of politicization, the court underscored that its focus was on ensuring a just inquiry into the alleged financial discrepancies.
