Letter petition in SC for probe into Ram Mandir donation irregularities
New Delhi: A letter petition has been sent to the Supreme Court alleging concerns over alleged misappropriation, disappearance and irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings made by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya.
The letter sent by advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi urged the Supreme Court to consider directing registration of an FIR and a court-monitored investigation by an independent agency such as the CBI into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
It also sought a continuing judicial oversight mechanism to safeguard devotees’ contributions and ensure transparency in the collection, accounting, custody and disbursal of temple funds.
The issue concerns the management and utilisation of donations and offerings collected at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, one of India’s most revered religious landmarks, with the petitioner seeking judicial directions to ensure transparency and accountability in the handling of the funds.
It has further been reported that certain individuals connected with the donation Management in the temple are found to be in possession of assets and wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income, the letter petition stated.
“Whether such reports are ultimately established or disproved is a matter for a competent investigation. However, the very existence of such allegations has generated widespread concern amongst devotees across the world. At present, neither the exact quantum of the alleged loss nor the precise modus operandi of the alleged misappropriation is known to the public. More importantly, despite the seriousness of the allegations and the enormous public interest involved, it appears that no FIR has yet been registered to investigate the commission of any cognizable offence,” it added.
“Where public faith in institutions is at stake, the confidence of millions of devotees can be restored only through an investigation that is demonstrably independent, comprehensive and insulated from every possibility of influence, pressure or conflict of interest,” stated the letter petition.
(Source: ANI)
