NEW DELHI: A representation has been submitted before the Supreme Court seeking directions for the registration of an FIR and a court-monitored investigation into allegations of misappropriation of donations and offerings made at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.
Addressed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, the representation was filed by Advocate-on-Record Anoop Prakash Awasthi, who urged the apex court to consider ordering an independent probe by a premier investigating agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.
Contending that the issue concerns the faith and confidence of millions, the representation said that recent reports regarding alleged irregularities, misappropriation or disappearance of donation funds linked to the Ram Temple have caused concern among devotees across the country and abroad.
It added that while the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the absence of a formal criminal investigation and FIR has raised questions about the institutional response to the matter.
"I do not seek to prejudge any individual, institution or authority. Nor do I intend to cast any aspersions upon the Trust, whose members have rendered invaluable service. However, the gravity of the allegations and the extraordinary significance of the institution involved require a level of transparency and credibility beyond ordinary standards," the representation stated.
Referring to the significance of the temple, the representation said that contributions made by devotees are sacred offerings reflecting faith and trust in the institution and that any allegations concerning such donations acquire a dimension larger than an ordinary financial dispute.
"A matter involving offerings made to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir transcends questions of ordinary financial impropriety. It concerns the faith of countless devotees. The issue is not merely whether a monetary loss has occurred; the issue is whether public confidence in the management of one of the most revered religious institutions in the world remains intact," it said. (IANS)
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