The Supreme Court on Monday refused to list petitions urgently seeking a CBI-led multi-agency probe into the alleged misappropriation of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, stating that “the sky will not fall” if the matter is taken up after a few days.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Shail Nagu said the petitions could be listed in due course once the registry and the concerned authority are satisfied of the urgency of the matter.
“The sky will not fall if the petition is heard after the Supreme Court resumes its regular work,” the bench observed when Ajay Kumar Rai, one of the petitioners who appeared in person, pressed for an urgent hearing and expressed his concerns over the ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Additional Chief Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh and Senior Counsel Sharan Dev Singh Thakur appeared for the state during the dhikr.
The court was hearing submissions filed jointly by advocates Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, who sought registration of an FIR and a fair, independent and time-bound investigation into the alleged diversion of donations collected at the Ram temple.
When the petitioner urged the court to intervene urgently, the court indicated that the matter could be taken up after the summer vacation. “It can be included immediately after the court resumes its normal work,” the bench said.
As per details available on the Supreme Court’s website, the petition is currently expected to be listed on July 24. The Supreme Court will resume its full work from July 13, while only a limited number of seats are open during partial working days.
What the appeal seeks
Advocate NK Goswami, who filed a separate petition raising similar concerns, also stated his case before the same court. Goswami confirmed that he contacted the registry but was informed that the matter would be listed only after the court resumed its normal work.
When he sought urgent direction from the bench, the bench asked him to pursue the matter before the registry and satisfy it regarding the urgent need for inclusion in the out-of-session list.
The development comes days after another bench of Justices B V Nagrathna and Joymalia Bagchi asked one of the petitioners to mention the matter on June 29 after informing them that the petition had been numbered, but no date had been fixed for the hearing.
The petitions seek to direct a special multi-disciplinary investigation team led by the CBI to investigate the alleged financial and other alleged irregularities in the affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
They are also seeking directions to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and the Trust to establish regulatory, supervisory and audit mechanisms to protect public interest and maintain public confidence in the management of donations made by devotees.
The petitioners have questioned the adequacy of the investigation team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Fund, arguing that an investigation conducted by administrative officials without the involvement of a central agency would not inspire the same level of public confidence as an investigation conducted by a specialized agency equipped to handle complex financial and criminal investigations.
Donation row: investigation to date
The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant the urgent list comes even as the pace of the state’s investigation accelerates.
Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday conducted simultaneous searches at the residences of all eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of temple donations, as investigators expanded the investigation to trace the trail of funds, examine suspected assets and collect additional evidence.
The accused were arrested on June 26 after an FIR was registered the previous day on a complaint by Trust member Krishna Mohan. The police said $79.80 lakhs were recovered from seven of the eight accused during the investigation and that the investigation is now focused on determining whether the alleged proceeds were diverted into movable or immovable assets or were channeled through relatives and colleagues.
The Trust, on June 27, confirmed that it had received the resignation letters of its general secretary, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra amid the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities related to temple donations.
The State Bank of India also said on Sunday that it is fully cooperating with the special investigation team and has provided all assistance required in connection with the ongoing investigation involving the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
