New Delhi: The Nirmohi Akhara has approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to reconstitute the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as a public trust.
In its petition, the Akhara argued that the existing structure and functioning of the Trust resemble that of a private body and are inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s landmark 2019 Ayodhya verdict.
The plea, filed through Mahant Raja Ramchandracharya Atit Guru Raghunath Das, has sought amendments to the Trust’s governing framework and requested that saints from the Ramanandi Bairagi Sampradaya be given oversight powers to supervise the Trust’s decisions.
The Akhara has also urged the court to direct that all religious rituals, offerings and worship at the Ram Temple be conducted in accordance with the traditional practices historically followed by the Nirmohi Akhara.
In addition, the petition seeks the restoration of the original idols of Ram Lalla Virajman, which were attached in 1950 and 1982, to the sanctum sanctorum. It contends that the Trust had no legal authority to replace the original idols.
The petition further calls for the constitution of an independent committee to examine the functioning of the Trust and seeks a forensic audit of all financial and property transactions carried out by the present trustees.
The Akhara has alleged serious irregularities in the handling of cash donations and valuables offered by devotees at the temple, claiming the lack of adequate accountability and oversight has undermined the management of a public religious institution.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions related to the alleged irregularities in donations made to the Ram Temple on July 20.
