The Bench, which besides Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, also comprises Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VS Mohana, will take up three separate petitions demanding a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the direct supervision of the Apex Court. The top court had earlier refused an urgent listing of these petitions during its partial working days, scheduling the matter to be heard when it formally reopens after the summer vacation.
An FIR has already been registered in the matter, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Police—led by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant—has submitted an interim report. Reports also indicate that the ongoing SIT probe has resulted in the arrest of eight accused individuals and the recovery of Rs. 77 lakh.
However, the petitioners argue that a CBI-led independent probe through a specially constituted team is necessary to ensure a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation.
The pleas highlight that the issue is of “exceptional public importance” to safeguard the administration of the Trust and protect the offerings made by millions of devotees. Accordingly, the petitioners have requested the apex court to issue the directives to the state government and the Trust to preserve all physical and digital records to prevent any destruction, alteration, or tampering. This includes bank account details, physical documents, donation registers, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs, audit reports, CCTV footage, and computer records.
A comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, transactions, and assets of the Trust should be conducted by an independent agency. Furthermore, a petition filed by RJD MP from Buxar, Sudhakar Singh, demands that the Trust be mandated to publish audited financial statements and donation records on its official website for public transparency.
The Uttar Pradesh government and the Trust must establish a robust audit and oversight mechanism to prevent similar allegations in the future. An order restraining the Trust from undertaking major investments, entering into substantial contracts, or taking significant financial actions while the investigation is underway.
The three interconnected pleas that have been clubbed together for the hearing by the Apex Court have been filed by petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami, seeking a direct CBI probe and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The second PIL has jointly been filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav regarding the irregularities in Trust donations. The third plea has been filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, focusing heavily on transparency, forensic audits, and safeguarding public funds.
