A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations made by devotees at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

The petition has been moved by Sudhakar Singh, a Member of Parliament from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, through Advocates Satyam Singh Rajput and Jaswanthi A. The plea seeks directions to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to disclose complete details of all donations, including cash and valuables, received since the Trust's formation on February 5, 2020.

The petition contends that the Trust was constituted pursuant to the Supreme Court's judgment in the Ayodhya Land Dispute Judgment and is entrusted with managing offerings made by millions of devotees. It argues that such offerings constitute trust property dedicated to the deity and must be administered with the highest standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.

Seeking an independent investigation, the PIL urges the Court to transfer all inquiries relating to the alleged irregularities in the administration, accounting and utilization of donations to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the supervision of the Supreme Court or any other independent mechanism deemed appropriate by the Court.

The plea further seeks directions restraining the Trust from handling managerial affairs connected with donations until the completion of the investigation and prosecution of those found guilty.

The filing comes amid allegations of financial irregularities in the handling of donations at the temple. An FIR has already been registered in connection with the alleged misappropriation of devotees' offerings, and police have arrested eight persons, including the official responsible for cash counting at the temple's pilgrim facilitation centre. The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The PIL also follows other petitions pending before the Supreme Court seeking a forensic audit of temple donations, preservation of evidence relating to offerings, and the creation of a nationwide transparency framework for managing donations received by temples of national importance.

Case Title: Sudhakar Singh v. Union of India & Others.