The Supreme Court will hear on Monday, (June 13) a batch petitions seeking an independent and court-monitored probe inti the alleged embezzlement of donations at Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The pleas are listed for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
The alleged embezzlement of offerings at Ram Temple triggered massive public outrage, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to order an SIT investigation.
After days of delay, an FIR was also registered by the UP Police. Following the FIR, police arrested eight accused, including Tinnu Yadav, a key aide of former Ram Temple Trust General Secretary Champat Rai.
With Yadav’s arrest, Rai tendered his resignation which was accepted by the trust. Trust member Anil Mishra also resigned amid the allegations.
The alleged embezzlement came to light after Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s social media posts.
A preliminary probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) pointed towards serious security lapses in the counting room of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, stating that staff here allegedly concealed wads of cash in their clothes, pockets, shoes, and other personal belongings and suggested that the alleged theft was “systematic” and repeated, rather than being isolated incidents.
According to the SIT, CCTV footage reviewed between April 27 and June 5 captured around 70 suspicious incidents of counting staff allegedly seen concealing cash bundles.
The SIT’s preliminary findings pointed to lapses in the security protocols. It said that there was “no frisking for staff at the entry and exit points of the counting hall, along with poor oversight of personal belongings carried in and out by employees.”
According to the SIT, CCTV footage reviewed between April 27 and June 5 captured around 70 suspicious incidents of counting staff allegedly seen concealing cash bundles.
The SIT’s preliminary findings pointed to lapses in the security protocols. It said that there was “no frisking for staff at the entry and exit points of the counting hall, along with poor oversight of personal belongings carried in and out by employees.