New Delhi: The court-appointed Special Investigation Team probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will file its first chargesheet on or before September 25, the Supreme Court was told Monday.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that the statutory 90-day period from the first arrest in the case would lapse soon.
“Ninety days from the date of the first arrest are going to be over on September 25, so we will have to file the chargesheet, otherwise, they (the accused) will get default bail,” Mehta said.
The top court also perused a detailed status report submitted by the SIT in a sealed cover.
Under Section 167 (2) of the CrPC, an accused becomes entitled to grant of statutory bail if the probe agency fails to file the chargesheet in the trial court within the stipulated period of either 60 or 90 days.
Section 187 of the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replaces Section 167(2) of the erstwhile CrPC.
The top court had earlier asked the SIT to complete its investigation expeditiously and take it to a logical conclusion.
It had directed the SIT to file its status report in a sealed cover on the progress made in the investigation into the donations theft case.
On July 27, the top court took note of the setting up of the four-member SIT headed by IGP Kiran S to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations.
It had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to also include a forensic auditor in the probe team.
Observing that “remedial actions will have to be taken”, the bench had said steps will be taken to “ensure transparency”.
The bench had also directed the SIT to submit a status report in two weeks.
On July 20, the bench asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it about the possibility of setting up an SIT to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations.
On July 13, the bench had directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to submit a status report in the matter.
It had also issued a notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on pleas seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged donations theft.
After allegations of irregularities in the management of donations surfaced at the Ram temple, several petitioners, including RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, moved the apex court seeking a probe by the CBI and a forensic audit of the finances of the temple trust.
PTI
