Kumar Bahukhandi
The Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Supreme Court was informed on Monday, September 21, 2026, that the SIT investigating alleged embezzlement of temple donations will file its first chargesheet on or before September 25. Representational image.
Supreme Court examines sealed-cover status report as probe into alleged embezzlement of donations at Ayodhya temple progresses
Key Highlights
- SIT to file its first chargesheet on or before September 25.
- The 90-day statutory period from the first arrest is approaching expiry.
- Supreme Court examined the SIT’s detailed status report in a sealed cover.
- Four-member SIT is headed by IGP Kiran S.
- A forensic auditor was included in the investigation following the Supreme Court’s intervention.
- The case concerns alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will file its first chargesheet on or before September 25, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the statutory 90-day period calculated from the first arrest in the case would expire on September 25. Failure to file the chargesheet within the prescribed period could entitle the accused to seek default bail.
“Ninety days from the date of the first arrest are going to be over on September 25, so we will have to file the chargesheet, otherwise, they [the accused] will get default bail,” Mehta told the court, according to reports.
Supreme Court Reviews SIT’s Progress
The Supreme Court also examined a detailed status report submitted by the SIT in a sealed cover. The court had earlier called for an expeditious investigation and stressed the need to ensure transparency in the matter.
The four-member SIT, headed by IGP Kiran S, was constituted to investigate allegations concerning the handling of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. The Supreme Court had also asked the Uttar Pradesh government to include a forensic auditor in the investigation team.
The matter reached the Supreme Court through petitions seeking an independent and time-bound investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations. Earlier proceedings included demands for a CBI investigation and forensic scrutiny of the finances of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The allegations remain under investigation, and the filing of a chargesheet will place the SIT’s initial findings before the competent court. The chargesheet itself does not determine guilt, which remains a matter for judicial proceedings.
