Congress Seeks Supreme Court-Monitored Probe as Ram Temple Donation Row Reaches Apex Court
The political and legal battle over the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has intensified, with the Congress demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the case. The party has argued that the alleged theft of devotees’ offerings raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in the management of one of India’s most significant religious institutions.
The controversy is set for a crucial legal turn on July 13, when the Supreme Court will hear a batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the alleged donation theft. The petitions call for a court-monitored CBI investigation, a forensic audit of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s finances and stronger regulatory safeguards for handling public donations.
A preliminary report submitted by the Uttar Pradesh government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has highlighted serious procedural lapses in the temple’s donation management system. Among its key findings, the report states that accused Ramashankar “Tinnu” Yadav allegedly exercised unauthorised control over the temple’s donation boxes by possessing their keys without formal approval, a breach that investigators say exposed the system to misuse.
The SIT also identified wider administrative failures, including inadequate supervision, poor CCTV monitoring, relaxed frisking procedures and weaknesses in the cash-counting process. Investigators reportedly documented around 70 instances of alleged theft over a 45-day period, suggesting that the irregularities were not isolated incidents but reflected systemic failures in internal controls.
The investigation has already led to the arrest of eight accused, while police have recovered cash, gold jewellery and other assets during searches. Authorities have also frozen multiple bank accounts as they examine whether the allegedly stolen donations were diverted through financial investments or other channels.
Congress has maintained that only an independent, court-supervised investigation can restore public confidence, arguing that the alleged theft concerns donations made by millions of devotees across the country. The BJP has accused the opposition of politicising the issue, while the Ram Temple Trust has initiated administrative changes following the controversy, including a leadership reshuffle and plans to strengthen oversight of donation management.
