The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged theft of donations offered at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

A division bench comprising Justice Ranjan Roy and Justice Manjeev Shukla will hear the plea, which also seeks an audit of the temple’s donation accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Filed on June 12, the petition has urged the court to ensure a fair and impartial investigation and has requested that the probe be conducted under the supervision of a senior police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).

The petitioner has also called for a detailed inquiry into the collection, accounting, and management of cash, gold, silver, and other offerings received at the temple.

Ayodhya Police, which is already investigating the matter, has arrested eight people so far. An FIR was registered based on a preliminary report submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13.

Investigators have also recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while removing them from the temple premises.

Meanwhile, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will hold a crucial meeting on Monday afternoon amid the ongoing controversy. The meeting is expected to review the SIT investigation into the alleged donation theft and decide on the resignations of its general secretary, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra.

The agenda is also likely to include discussions on appointments to key positions within the trust, should the resignations be accepted.

The Opposition Congress has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged theft of donations and offerings at the Ram Temple. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal alleged that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS were wholly responsible for the theft at the Ayodhya temple.

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