The case concerning alleged irregularities related to offerings received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and land transactions linked to the temple has reached the Supreme Court. The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has filed a petition seeking legal action against former trust general secretary Champat Rai and others.
The petition filed by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha questions the functioning of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and seeks the dissolution and reconstitution of the existing trust. It also seeks legal action against former trust general secretary Champat Rai and others. The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for today, November 2, 2026.
The petition seeks an investigation into alleged irregularities in the purchase and sale of land around the Ram Temple and the alleged misuse of donations received for temple construction. The petitioner has sought the termination and reconstitution of the existing trust.
The case is also linked to petitions already pending before the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into temple offerings and financial management. In July, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, seeking information on the status of the investigation.
The controversy over alleged misappropriation of Ram Temple offerings became public in June 2026. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Tej Narayan Pandey, also known as Pawan Pandey, had alleged irregularities involving crores of rupees in offerings received from devotees at the temple.
Following the allegations, a police investigation was launched, and on June 25, a case was registered against eight people at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya.
As the investigation progressed, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) examined CCTV footage, bank records, mobile data, call detail records, property-related documents, forensic material and statements of witnesses. The status report filed before the Supreme Court also referred to these pieces of evidence collected during the investigation.
The SIT investigation reportedly identified 105 instances in CCTV footage in which cash was allegedly removed without permission from the area where cash offerings at the temple were counted. The investigating agency also linked these incidents with bank records and other digital evidence.
In September, the SIT filed a detailed chargesheet against eight accused persons. According to reports, the chargesheet runs into thousands of pages and contains details of evidence related to the alleged removal and concealment of cash and subsequent transactions involving the money.
During the investigation, around Rs 79.85 lakh in cash was reportedly recovered from seven accused persons. Police also examined bank accounts, properties, vehicles and other financial records to trace the alleged flow of funds.
An important fact in the case is that Champat Rai has not been named as an accused in the SIT chargesheet. He has been listed among the prosecution witnesses.
According to reports, a video and message related to offering cash were sent to Rai on June 4, and these were included in the investigation as among the initial important clues.
The SIT chargesheet also lists some other former office-bearers associated with the trust as witnesses, while eight people have been named as accused in the criminal case. The distinction has led to a public debate over the investigation and the determination of responsibility.
