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‘Heavens are not going to fall’: SC refuses urgent hearing of Ram temple donation case, questions rush
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu said the pleas could be listed once registry and competent authority were satisfied about the urgency.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to urgently list petitions seeking a CBI-led multi-agency probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, observing that “heavens are not going to fall” if the matter is taken up after a few days.
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and Sheel Nagu said the pleas could be listed in due course once the registry and the competent authority were satisfied about the urgency of the matter.
“Heavens are not going to fall if the petition is heard after the Supreme Court resumes regular functioning,” remarked the bench when Ajay Kumar Rai, one of the petitioners appearing in person, pressed for an expedited hearing and expressed apprehensions over the ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Uttar Pradesh’s senior additional advocate general and senior counsel Sharan Dev Singh Thakur appeared for the state during the mentioning.
The court was hearing a mention made in petitions jointly filed by advocates Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, who sought registration of an FIR and a fair, independent, and time-bound investigation into the alleged diversion of donations collected at the Ram temple.
When the petitioner urged the court to intervene urgently, the bench indicated the matter could be taken up after the summer recess. “It can be listed immediately after the court resumes regular functioning,” the bench said.
According to details available on the Supreme Court website, the petition is presently expected to be listed on July 24. The apex court resumes full functioning from July 13, while only a limited number of benches sit during the partial working days.
What the plea seeks
Advocate NK Goswami, who filed a separate petition raising similar concerns, also mentioned his case before the same bench. Goswami submitted that he had approached the registry but was informed that the matter would be listed only after the court resumed normal functioning.
When he sought urgent direction from the bench, the bench asked him to pursue the matter before the registry and satisfy it regarding the urgency warranting an out-of-turn listing.
The development comes days after another bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi asked one of the petitioners to mention the matter on June 29 after being informed that the plea had been numbered, but no hearing date had been assigned.
The petitions seek a direction for a CBI-led multidisciplinary special investigation team to probe alleged financial irregularities and other purported illegalities in the affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
They also seek directions to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Trust to establish regulatory, supervisory, and audit mechanisms to safeguard public interest and maintain public confidence in the management of donations made by devotees.
The petitioners have questioned the adequacy of the probe team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the Trust’s request, arguing that a probe by administrative officers without involvement of a central agency would not inspire the same level of public confidence as an investigation by a specialised agency equipped to handle complex financial and criminal inquiries.
Donation row: Probe so far
The Supreme Court’s refusal to accord urgent listing comes even as the state’s investigation has gathered pace.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday conducted simultaneous searches at the residences of all eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft of temple donations, as investigators widened the probe to trace the money trail, examine suspected assets, and collect additional evidence.
The accused were arrested on June 26 after an FIR was registered a day earlier on a complaint by Trust member Krishna Mohan. Police said ₹79.80 lakh was recovered from seven of the eight accused during the investigation and that the probe is now focused on determining whether the alleged proceeds were converted into movable or immovable assets or routed through relatives and associates.
The Trust, on June 27, confirmed that it had received the resignation letters of its general secretary, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra amid the ongoing probe into alleged irregularities involving temple donations.
The State Bank of India also said on Sunday it was fully cooperating with the Special Investigation Team and had extended all assistance sought in connection with the ongoing inquiry involving the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
