The Supreme Court on Monday, 20 July directed the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged financial irregularities in donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, insisting the inquiry be led by a senior IPS officer and carried to its 'logical conclusion'. The court simultaneously cautioned all parties against politicising the matter, stating that its sole concern was ensuring a fair criminal investigation.

What the Supreme Court Said

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana questioned who was currently conducting the investigation and under whose supervision. The bench noted that the earlier SIT had included two IAS officers and a senior IPS officer, and suggested the ongoing probe be handed to a reconstituted SIT headed by a senior IPS officer already familiar with the case.

'Let there be an SIT for the ongoing investigation. It can be headed by this officer because he has knowledge of the matter. Speak to the government and let the SIT be reconstituted,' the bench said. The court added that it would issue any additional directions as required.

Government's Position in Court

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the apex court that a status report had been filed in a sealed cover in compliance with earlier directions. 'The investigation is going on. Eight persons have been arrested. I cannot divulge much at this stage,' Mehta submitted.

Mehta clarified that the earlier SIT was constituted only to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and was not itself conducting the criminal investigation. 'The SIT was constituted to find out the truthfulness. Now it is being probed by the police. SIT just found that there is a cognisable offence,' he said. He assured the court that all relevant records, including CCTV footage and digital evidence, were being preserved, and that the government had no objection to any direction necessary for a fair investigation.

Petitioners' Demands

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for one of the petitioners, urged the court to direct preservation of all records relating to donations collected during the construction of the Ram temple. He submitted that receipts had been issued to devotees across the country and suggested such records be uploaded on the Trust's website so donors could verify whether their contributions had reached the temple.

The CJI Kant-led bench observed that uploading everything online may not be practical, but directed that a properly maintained record must exist wherever receipts had been issued. One of the counsels also sought a copy of the sealed status report and noted that the FIR had not yet been uploaded — issues the bench said it would address at the next hearing.

Background and Next Steps

The batch of petitions — filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh, and Hindu Dharma Parishad — seeks a court-monitored probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the Trust's handling of donations. On 13 July, the apex court had issued notice to the Trust and directed the UP government's SIT to submit a detailed status report including its composition.

The court is scheduled to take up the matter again the following Monday, after examining the status report and the state government's response on the proposed SIT reconstitution. 'We are only cautioning — don't politicise the issue. Investigation must be fair and taken to its logical conclusion,' the bench remarked, adding that 'courts are not a place for politics.' Mehta said he would obtain instructions and place the state government's stand on record at the next date.