The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged financial irregularities and missing funds related to the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The matter was mentioned before a vacation Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu by Advocate NK Goswami, who argued that crucial electronic evidence could be tampered with if the case was not taken up immediately. He requested the Court to pass urgent directions for preservation of evidence.

The Bench, however, declined the request for an immediate listing and directed the petitioners to first furnish a copy of the petition to the Registry. The judges observed that the plea would be considered in due course.

The PIL has been filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav against the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the State of Uttar Pradesh and the Union of India.

According to the petition, allegations of misappropriation, diversion and embezzlement of public donations collected for the Ram Temple necessitate the registration of a regular criminal case and an independent, time-bound investigation by the CBI.

The plea acknowledges that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government is already examining the allegations. However, it contends that the SIT lacks the specialised forensic and investigative capabilities required to conduct a complex financial investigation. It also argues that the inquiry was initiated without registration of a First Information Report (FIR), which could weaken the evidentiary value of its findings.

To support its case, the petition cites the Supreme Court's October 2024 decision in Subramanian Swamy v. State of Andhra Pradesh concerning the alleged adulterated ghee controversy at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, where the Court replaced the State SIT with an independent multidisciplinary SIT headed by the CBI.

Pending adjudication of the PIL, the petitioners have sought interim directions requiring the Trust and the State authorities to preserve all physical, electronic and financial records, including donation registers, account ledgers, CCTV footage, bank records and software databases. They have also requested an order restraining any person or authority from tampering with the material evidence.

The petition is expected to be listed for hearing after the Supreme Court's summer vacation.