The investigation into alleged irregularities in donation collections at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya identified 105 instances of unauthorised removal of currency captured on CCTV cameras, the Supreme Court was told on Monday, with the Uttar Pradesh government assuring the court that its special investigation team (SIT) had substantially completed the probe and would file a chargesheet by September 25.
The September 25 deadline assumes significance as the statutory 90-day period for completing the investigation, reckoned from the first arrest in the case, expires that day. The bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, after perusing the SIT’s status report in court, directed that the chargesheet be filed before the jurisdictional additional sessions judge on or before September 25. The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, before the Supreme Court intervened in the matter. At the same time, the court made it clear that the possibility of further investigation would remain open under Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The investigation also covered specific donations referred to in media reports, including 200 kg and 38.288 kg silver bricks, a silver necklace, a pair of charan paduka and a donated copy of the Ramcharitmanas, the court was informed.
Mehta pointed out that the accused would become entitled to default bail if the chargesheet was not filed within the prescribed period. Range inspector general Kiran S and special secretary (finance) Neel Ratan Kumar are the other members. The court noted that the primary offences under investigation included criminal breach of trust and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act .
The bench said the relevant contents of the status report were summarised in its judicial order and that it did not want to take the investigation or proceedings out of the hands of the jurisdictional sessions court. The SIT used CCTV footage extensively to identify the accused, with the investigation subsequently relying on recoveries, forensic examination and audit material, according to the report.
It also directed the state to place a copy of the chargesheet before the Supreme Court.
