SC seeks Ram Mandir donation theft report, to hear CBI probe plea next week
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and said it would hear next week a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into the matter. A bench led by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The court also directed the SIT, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government, to submit a status report detailing the progress of the investigation along with the composition of the probe team. Read Full Story During the hearing, the Solicitor General opposed the issuance of a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. However, the bench proceeded to issue a notice to the trust as well.
The Chief Justice observed that since an SIT had already been constituted and the investigation was underway, the court wanted to examine the progress made so far before considering further reliefs sought by the petitioners. The Solicitor General informed the court that the status report would be filed in a sealed cover. When the petitioners sought a copy of the report, the Solicitor General opposed the request.
The Chief Justice remarked, "You know the law... Eventually they will see the report". The bench also made a light-hearted remark during the proceedings, telling one of the lawyers, "You don't need to shout here because you need to preserve your voice for outside". The matter has been posted for further hearing next Monday. Ends
The BriefWire