SC to hear Ram temple donation irregularities pleas on Monday
Synopsis
The Supreme Court returns to one of India's most politically sensitive legal matters — alleged financial irregularities at the Ram temple trust. With the SIT having reportedly identified 105 theft incidents from CCTV footage and a charge sheet due, Monday's hearing could determine whether court-monitored oversight intensifies or yields to the state probe.
Key Takeaways
The Supreme Court will hear petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust donation irregularities on Monday, 3 November 2026 .
The Bench is led by CJI Surya Kant , with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V.
SIT analysis of CCTV footage reportedly identified 105 incidents of donation theft at the temple.
The reconstituted SIT is headed by IG Kiran S. , with a forensic auditor directed to be associated by the apex court.
The charge sheet was due by 25 September ; the court is expected to review compliance on Monday.
Petitions seek record preservation, transparency in offerings accounting, and a comprehensive forensic audit of Trust finances.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up on Monday, 3 November 2026, a clutch of petitions demanding a court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the management of donations and offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. The matters will be heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, as per the cause list published on the apex court's official website.
Petitions Before the Court
The batch of matters includes a writ petition filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, a criminal writ petition by petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, a plea moved by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament Sudhakar Singh, and a separate petition filed by Hindu Dharma Parishad. Collectively, the petitions seek preservation of donation-related records, greater transparency in the accounting of offerings, and a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust's finances.
Where the Investigation Stands
At the previous hearing on 21 September, the Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged irregularities had substantially completed its work and would file the charge sheet within two days — by the deadline of 25 September. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted a status report in a sealed cover to the CJI-led Bench.
The status report detailed how the SIT analysed CCTV footage and other material to identify accused persons, while also examining records relating to donations and offerings. Notably, the analysis of CCTV footage reportedly revealed 105 incidents of theft of donations at the temple. The report further stated that receipts for valuable items received as offerings were generated through software and that such valuables were stored in State Bank of India (SBI) lockers.
Reconstituted SIT and Forensic Audit Direction
Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to reconstitute the SIT to ensure a fair, speedy, and qualitative investigation. The state government subsequently informed the apex court that the reconstituted SIT is headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S., with DIG Ayodhya Somen Verma and SSP Ayodhya Dr Gaurav Grover as members.
The Bench had also indicated that a forensic auditor should be associated with the investigation, given the nature of the allegations. Solicitor General Mehta agreed to this suggestion, and the apex court recorded in its order: 'Since the nature of the investigation involves alleged misappropriation of trust funds, the Solicitor General has fairly agreed that a forensic auditor shall also be associated as a member of the SIT.' The Sessions Judge concerned was permitted to pass an appropriate order in accordance with law.
Why This Hearing Matters
This comes amid sustained scrutiny of the financial governance of one of India's most high-profile religious trusts, established following the landmark Supreme Court verdict of 2019 that paved the way for the Ram temple's construction. The scale of public donations to the Trust — running into hundreds of crores of rupees — has made transparency in fund management a matter of significant public interest. The Monday hearing is expected to address whether the charge sheet has been filed as committed and what direction the court-supervised process will take next.
Point of View
Politics, and institutional accountability — a combination that makes it uniquely difficult to adjudicate without controversy. The SIT's reported identification of 105 theft incidents from CCTV footage is a concrete finding that goes beyond allegations, raising questions about internal oversight mechanisms at one of India's wealthiest religious institutions. The Supreme Court's insistence on a forensic auditor signals it is not content to leave the matter solely to the state government — and given that the Trust was constituted by a court order, that scrutiny is arguably the court's own institutional responsibility. The real test Monday is whether the charge sheet was actually filed on time, or whether another adjournment dilutes the momentum of a rare instance of judicial oversight over a high-profile religious body.
NationPress
1 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the petitions before the Supreme Court about the Ram temple trust?
The petitions seek a court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the management of donations and offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. They also demand preservation of donation records, greater transparency in accounting, and a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust's finances.
What did the SIT probe find regarding the Ram temple donations?
According to a status report submitted to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover, analysis of CCTV footage by the Special Investigation Team revealed 105 incidents of theft of donations at the temple. The report also noted that receipts for valuable offerings were generated through software and that the valuables were stored in State Bank of India lockers.
Who is heading the reconstituted SIT probing the Ram temple irregularities?
The reconstituted SIT is headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S., with DIG Ayodhya Somen Verma and SSP Ayodhya Dr Gaurav Grover as members. The Supreme Court also directed that a forensic auditor be associated with the SIT, a suggestion the Solicitor General agreed to.
When was the charge sheet supposed to be filed in the Ram temple case?
At the previous Supreme Court hearing on 21 September, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the charge sheet deadline was 25 September and that it would be filed within the stipulated period. Whether it was filed as committed is expected to be reviewed at Monday's hearing.
Who has filed petitions in the Supreme Court over the Ram temple trust irregularities?
The batch includes a writ petition by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, a criminal writ petition by Ajay Kumar Rai, a plea by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, and a petition filed by Hindu Dharma Parishad. The matters will be heard together before a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant.
