The Congress on Tuesday questioned the delay in filing the chargesheet in the alleged Ram temple donation theft case in Ayodhya, a day after the Supreme Court was informed that the probe had identified 105 alleged instances of unauthorised currency removal through CCTV footage.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the delay and took a swipe at the BJP by referring to the lyrics of the 1971 Hindi film song Ram ka naam badnaam na karo. He also demanded a forensic audit of the entire donation-handling system, strict action against those responsible and a transparent investigation.
The Congress leader’s remarks came after solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) would file its chargesheet by 25 September. The deadline marks 90 days from the first arrests in the case.
According to the SIT status report submitted to the Supreme Court, investigators identified 105 instances of alleged unauthorised currency removal or concealment from the temple’s counting room. The report said eight accused had been identified and that investigators had examined CCTV footage, electronic evidence, financial records and other material to trace the alleged diversion of donations.
The figure of 105 incidents is higher than the 70 incidents identified in the earlier interim probe. The SIT’s latest report also examined allegations concerning valuable donations. The Supreme Court was informed that no discrepancies were found in the handling of several high-value items, including silver bricks and other offerings, while records for 803 valuable articles were verified and the items were found secured in an SBI locker.
The Supreme Court-appointed SIT was constituted after petitions sought an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the management of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The probe includes a forensic auditor following the court’s directions.
The Supreme Court has so far declined to make the SIT’s detailed report public, saying it would first examine the findings and determine whether further investigation or directions were required. The court has directed that the investigation be taken to its logical conclusion.
Ramesh alleged that the delay in filing the chargesheet could benefit the accused by making them eligible for statutory or default bail if the prescribed period expires without a chargesheet. He also questioned whether those allegedly responsible for the wider irregularities were being adequately investigated.
The Congress has demanded a forensic audit of the entire donation system, strict action against those found responsible and complete transparency in the investigation.
The allegations first surfaced in June, following claims of irregularities in the handling of donations at the Ayodhya temple. Several petitioners, including RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, subsequently approached the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe and a forensic audit of the temple trust’s finances.