The apex court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the SIT to supervise
July 20, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday cautioned all parties against politicising the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, observed that the case should be investigated fairly, impartially and without political interference. The court also indicated that the ongoing police investigation should be supervised by the same three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) that had earlier found prima facie evidence of financial irregularities. The matter will next be heard on July 27.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that eight accused had been arrested and that the investigation was progressing, with a status report submitted in a sealed cover. The bench suggested that the officials who conducted the preliminary inquiry—including Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan—should oversee the ongoing investigation. The Uttar Pradesh government said it would examine the proposal and respond at the next hearing. The SIT’s preliminary report had led to the registration of an FIR against eight persons, with nearly ₹80 lakh allegedly siphoned from temple donations recovered so far.
The court also discussed measures to improve transparency in the handling of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat suggested that records of donations and inventories of gold, silver and other valuables be made public so devotees could verify their contributions. While noting that practical challenges may arise, the bench observed that proper records should be maintained wherever receipts are issued. The controversy emerged in June after allegations that crores of rupees in donations were diverted before being deposited into the temple’s official bank accounts.