New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider reconstituting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, saying the investigation should be led by a senior IPS officer and taken to its “logical conclusion”.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana also cautioned against politicising the issue, observing that courts were concerned only with ensuring a fair investigation into the alleged commission of a crime.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the apex court that a status report had been filed in a sealed cover in compliance with its earlier directions. “The investigation is going on. Eight persons have been arrested. I cannot divulge much at this stage,” SG Mehta submitted.
When the CJI Kant-led Bench sought details about the composition of the investigating team, SG Mehta clarified that the earlier SIT was constituted only to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and was not itself carrying out the criminal investigation. “The SIT was constituted to find out the truthfulness. Now it is being probed by the police. SIT just found that there is a cognisable offence,” the Solicitor General said.
“Who is investigating now? Who are the investigating officers?” the apex court asked. Responding, SG Mehta said the investigation was being conducted by the concerned police officers under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police. The CJI Kant-led Bench observed that the earlier SIT comprised senior officers, including two IAS officers and a senior IPS officer, and suggested that the ongoing investigation should instead be entrusted to a reconstituted SIT headed by a senior IPS officer already familiar with the matter.
“Let there be an SIT for the ongoing investigation. It can be headed by this officer because he has knowledge of the matter. Speak to the government and let the SIT be reconstituted. Whatever additional directions are required, we will do that,” the top court said.
The apex court indicated that it would take up the matter again next Monday after examining the status report and the state government’s response on the proposed reconstitution of the SIT. “We are only cautioning — don’t politicise the issue. Investigation must be fair and taken to its logical conclusion,” the CJI Kant-led Bench remarked, adding that “courts are not a place for politics”.
Responding to the suggestion, SG Mehta said he would obtain instructions and place the state government’s stand on record. During the hearing, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for one of the petitioners, urged the apex court to direct preservation of all records relating to donations collected during the construction of the Ram temple.
He submitted that receipts had been issued to devotees across the country and suggested that such records be uploaded on the Trust’s website so that donors could verify whether their contributions had reached the temple.
The CJI Kant-led Bench observed that while uploading everything online may not be practical, there must be a properly maintained record wherever receipts had been issued. SG Mehta assured the apex court that the government had no objection to any direction necessary for ensuring a fair investigation and informed the CJI Kant-led Bench that all relevant records, including CCTV footage and digital evidence, were being preserved.
When one of the counsels submitted that the FIR had not yet been uploaded and sought a copy of the sealed status report, the CJI Kant-led Bench said it would consider all such issues while passing appropriate directions at the next hearing.
The batch of petitions, including those filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, petitioner-in-person Ajay Kumar Rai, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and Hindu Dharma Parishad, seeks a court-monitored probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations and offerings received by the Trust.
Earlier, on July 13, the apex court had issued notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and directed the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a detailed status report, including its composition.
(IANS)
