Allahabad HC declines urgent hearing on Ayodhya Ram Temple offerings plea
The Allahabad High Court on Monday refused to grant an out-of-turn hearing on a petition seeking an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the management of
The Allahabad High Court on Monday refused to grant an out-of-turn hearing on a petition seeking an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the management of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying there was no urgency in the matter. The Lucknow bench said it was already dealing with a large number of cases and also orally observed that, since the Uttar Pradesh government had already taken cognisance of the issue, there was no occasion at this stage to hear the matter out of turn.
Read Full Story The plea, filed by Mohit Ashok, was listed at serial number 392 among 529 fresh cases before the Lucknow bench on Monday. A vacation bench comprising Justice Pankaj Bhatia and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai declined the request for an early hearing. In his petition, Ashok has sought an independent probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds received as offerings at the Ram Temple. He has also asked for an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The petition alleges financial irregularities in the handling of donations made by devotees and seeks judicial intervention to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of temple funds. Earlier, on June 13, the Uttar Pradesh government had set up a Special Investigation Team after a request from the temple trust following allegations of misappropriation of donations received at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The SIT comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.
In sum, the high court did not allow an out-of-turn hearing of the plea, noting the absence of urgency and the state's ongoing action, while the petition continues to seek an independent investigation and a CAG audit into the handling of temple offerings. Ends With PTI inputs
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