A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India on Monday directed a Special Investigation Team to submit a status report on their probe into the alleged embezzlement of the donation money at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

As per Indian legal media outlets, the bench also decided to issue a notice to the temple’s trust which is at the centre of the fraud allegations.

The top court’s directions were in response to three petitions filed by lawyers, one of which asked for an Independent and time-bound investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations.

One of the petitioners’ concerns is that an SIT, which was constituted by state authorities in Uttar Pradesh, lacks the forensic and investigative infrastructure needed to probe a complex financial crime. Petitioners have said they want the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to lead the probe instead.

The council appearing for the Union of India also warned the court against the danger of evidence – CCTV footage, DVR records – being destroyed or damaged with passing time.

DW