SC takes Cognisance of Ram Temple Theft Case, Asks SIT to File Status Report in a Week

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, July 13 Even as the Supreme Court on Monday (July 13) issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit a status report within a week on the progress made in the ongoing probe into the temple donation fund embezzlement, the Trust invited applications from the interested candidates for the appointment as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohna issued the notice to the Trust on pleas seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The court, however, rejected the plea of the petitioners for a copy of the SIT status report after the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, who appeared for both the central and the UP government insisted that secrecy at this stage was necessary for the progress in investigation and the status report will be filed in a sealed cover only for the benefit of the court. The matter was posted for further hearing on July 20, when the court will consider the petitions and examine the SIT’s findings.

Narendra Kumar Goswami, one of the three petitioners, moved the top court seeking a CBI probe into the matter. He also sought a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the finances of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the affairs of the Ram temple. Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav filed the second petition seeking similar measures.

Besides seeking a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe, the third petition filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh has sought a forensic audit of the entire finances of the temple trust.

Meanwhile, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust issued an official notification announcing the recruitment process for the key administrative position of the CEO. According to the notification, the appointment will initially be for a three-year contractual term. The tenure may be renewed further on the basis of satisfactory performance. The CEO will be based in Ayodhya and the salary and other benefits will be determined through mutual discussions.

The Trust has prescribed detailed eligibility conditions for the post. Applicants must possess at least a graduate degree and should be between 50 and 70 years of age. Candidates should have a minimum of 20 years of managerial experience in a large public organisation, institution, department or company. Experience in areas such as general administration, finance, legal affairs, personnel management, IT, security, and policy coordination will be considered relevant. The notification further states that preference will be given to candidates who have served as a Chief Administrative Officer or have experience in managing a temple or Hindu religious institution.

It also said the applicants must be active followers of the Hindu faith. Being a devotee of Lord Ram has been described as a desirable qualification.

Proficiency in both Hindi and English was mandatory for the position. The CEO will report to the general secretary of the Trust. The last date and time for submission of applications is Saturday, July 18.

The appointment of the CEO is considered a significant administrative step for the management and operational oversight of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, one of India’s most prominent religious institutions.

The decision to appoint a CEO at the Ram Temple came amidst the SIT probe into the donation fund theft leading to the arrest of 8 persons, mostly the counting staff.

The alleged misuse of temple donations came to light in the first week of June after irregularities were reported during the counting of offerings at the Ram temple. Acting on the recommendation of the temple trust, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the matter. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan.

The SIT found prima facie evidence of embezzlement, leading to the registration of an FIR. According to the SIT, CCTV footage from a 45-day period showed repeated violations of these procedures. Investigators alleged that the accused took advantage of weak monitoring and inadequate checks on cash movement inside the counting hall.

In a related development, a major change has been made to the Ram Mandir VIP darshan pass system in the temple. The authority to recommend and issue VIP darshan passes has now been entrusted to Mahant Dinendra Das after the IDs of the after the IDs of the former general secretary Champat Rai and trustees nil Mishra and Gopal Rao were deactivated by the system. With Mahant Dinendra Das’ ID now activated in the system, recommendations made by him will enable the issuance of both Sugam Darshan and Vishisht Darshan (VIP) passes for devotees visiting the temple.

According to the allegations under investigation, Tinnu Yadav, a close aide of Champat Rai and an accused in the Ram Mandir donation theft case, allegedly misused the VIP pass system to facilitate the issuance of hundreds of special darshan passes.

The allegations further claim that individuals considered close to Anil Mishra and Champat Rai were also involved in irregularities related to issuing VIP passes, allegedly generating lakhs of rupees through the process. The allegations are currently under investigation, and no court has established criminal liability.

Amid reports that outsourced staff members have resigned, banking sources said that no fresh recruitment has been made after the arrest of eight accused in the donation theft case. Despite this, the counting of donations continues without disruption, as the current footfall of devotees remains manageable. Officials indicated that outsourced employees frequently leave their jobs because of comparatively low salaries, making staff turnover a recurring issue.

Sources clarified that outsourced workers were responsible only for arranging and straightening currency notes before they were processed. The actual counting of donations is carried out exclusively by authorised bank personnel, ensuring that the counting process has not been affected by the departure of outsourced employees.