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The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the petitioners and other public-spirited persons to submit suggestions to the office of the Solicitor General regarding any aspect which should be investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the allegations of theft of the donations received by the Ram Mandir trust in Ayodhya.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana said that suggestions could be submitted on aspects that may require thorough investigation by the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh police.

The Court directed the office of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to forward the suggestions to the SIT, expressing confidence that they would be objectively considered. The Court also directed the SIT to submit a status report in sealed cover for its perusal.

The Court was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a Court-monitored investigation into the donation theft scam, and an audit of the accounts of the Ram Mandir trust.

The Court's order stated :

"We also permit the petitioners or any other bona fide public-spirited person to give their suggestions to the office of the learned Solicitor General with respect to the aspects that may be required to be thoroughly investigated by SIT. The office of the Solicitor General shall forward the suggestions to the SIT. We have no reason to doubt that the same shall be objectively considered."

The Court also observed that SIT's report will be first considered by the Court before deciding if it should be made public.

"The SIT, which includes a forensic auditor, will submit its status report to the Supreme Court in sealed cover. But its report will be first perused by us and seen if we have to release it to all parties," the Bench said

During the hearing, counsel appearing for one of the petitioners said he was directly affected by the alleged irregularities and sought an opportunity to provide material to the investigating authorities. The Chief Justice said that since an SIT was already conducting the investigation, parties could provide suggestions to ensure that the probe was comprehensive.

A plea seeking greater transparency regarding donations was also raised before the Bench. Counsel submitted that an independent chartered accountant had conducted an audit and that the report would be placed before the Court.

Another counsel, NK. Goswami, raised allegations concerning land transactions, including claims of a sharp increase in the value of land within a short period.

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 Nirmohi Akhara application rejected in present proceedings

The Supreme Court also declined to entertain, in the present proceedings, an interlocutory application filed by the Nirmohi Akhara seeking to raise the issue of converting the Ram Mandir Trust into a public trust. The application was filed in the main Ayodhya title suit which was disposed of by the 2019 judgment.

The Akhara's counsel argued that there were structural issues with the existing trust and suggested that treating it as a public trust could address some of the concerns surrounding its functioning.

Chief Justice Surya Kant, however, said that the present proceedings were concerned with the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also submitted that the issue of the trust's status was a separate matter.

The Bench made it clear that the Nirmohi Akhara could approach the Court through a separate petition, which would then be examined independently

Cases: Narendra Kumar Goswami v. Union of India and others | WP(c) 790/2026; Ajay Kumar Rai and another v. Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust | WP(Crl) 241/2026; Sudhakar Singh v. Union of India and others | WP (Crl) 256/2026; Hindu Dharma Parishad v. The Union Of India And Ors. | WP(C) No. 827/2026

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