Supreme Court directed Uttar Pradesh's SIT to submit a status report on the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement probe.
The court issued notice to the Trust, while police continue investigating with eight accused currently in custody.
Petitioners sought a CBI probe, forensic audit, and greater transparency over the Trust's donations and finances.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on the probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Hindustan Times reported.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana heard a batch of petitions seeking an independent investigation into the financial irregularities.
"We would like to know who the members of the SIT are. File a status report. After seeing the report, we may issue some additional directions," the bench observed.
The court also issued notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, stating its response is necessary before the matter can proceed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior additional advocate general Sharan Dev Singh Thakur represented the state government. They informed the court that the investigation is underway.
Current Police Investigation
The Uttar Pradesh Police continue to investigate the alleged donation theft alongside the ongoing SIT inquiry.
Authorities currently hold eight persons in custody. The arrests follow the registration of an FIR based on the SIT's initial findings.
Demands for CBI Probe
Petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami sought a CBI probe and a CAG audit of the Trust's finances.
Advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav filed a separate petition. They sought an FIR and a fair, independent and time-bound CBI investigation into the alleged diversion of donations collected at the temple.
Demands for Financial Audits
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh filed a third plea seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation and a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust's finances.
Singh urged the court to direct the preservation of all financial records to prevent tampering. These records include physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements.
The petition seeks to restrain the Trust from making major financial or administrative decisions without the approval of a proposed court-monitored oversight committee. These restricted decisions include the award of substantial contracts, investments, utilisation of Trust funds, creation of third-party rights and alienation of assets.
Singh requested a complete account of all donations and contributions received since the constitution of the Trust. This detailed inventory must cover cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions and donations in kind such as gold, silver and other valuables, together with details of their accounting, custody and utilisation.
The plea also seeks directions requiring the Trust to publish audited financial statements, donation records and details regarding utilisation of funds on its official website to ensure transparency while safeguarding confidential donor information.
