Ram Mandir donation theft: Supreme Court ends oversight, Ayodhya trial to proceed

The Supreme Court on Monday, 2 November 2026 disposed of petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, after the Uttar Pradesh government reported that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet against eight accused. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the case should now proceed before the Judicial Magistrate in Ayodhya in accordance with law, and allowed the petitioners to assist the trial court in the way the law lets victims of crime take part. The court made clear it had expressed no opinion on the merits of the case.

Temple donations are an act of faith. When devotees put money in a donation box at a temple as important as the Ram temple in Ayodhya, they trust that it will reach the temple and be used for its purposes. An allegation that some of that money was taken during counting goes to the heart of that trust, which is why the case drew petitions all the way to the Supreme Court.

The court's order sets the path for what happens next. By closing the petitions for a CBI probe, the court accepted that the state's investigation has reached the stage of a chargesheet, and that the proper place to test the evidence is now the trial court. By allowing the petitioners to assist, it gave those who raised the issue a continuing role, rather than shutting them out of the process.

The findings reported so far also point to a practical lesson for large temples. According to the government's account, the problem was at the counting stage, not with the temple's artefacts or other property. The counting of cash offerings is a point where controls such as cameras, multiple counters and audits matter most. The earlier direction to bring a forensic auditor into the investigation reflects that concern.

It is important to remember that a chargesheet is an accusation, not a verdict. The eight accused have not been convicted, and the Supreme Court itself said it had expressed no view on the merits. The Ayodhya court will decide the case on the evidence.

Peepals timeline: Wednesday, 23 September 2026 - the SIT files a chargesheet against eight accused before an Ayodhya court, according to reports. Monday, 2 November 2026 - the Supreme Court disposes of the petitions seeking a CBI probe and sends the matter to the Judicial Magistrate, 40 days after the chargesheet (our calculation from the reported dates). Next - the trial before the Ayodhya magistrate, with the petitioners allowed to assist.

Short-term: The case moves from the Supreme Court to the trial court in Ayodhya, where the chargesheet will be examined.

Long-term: The outcome may shape how large temples handle and audit the counting of cash donations.

Who is affected: Devotees who donate at the Ram temple, the temple's management, the eight accused, the petitioners, and the Uttar Pradesh police and SIT.

What to watch next: Proceedings before the Judicial Magistrate in Ayodhya on the SIT's chargesheet.

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