New Delhi. The Supreme Court has issued strict instructions on the allegations of embezzlement of the offerings and donations of Shri Banke Bihari Temple located in Vrindavan, Mathura. The top court has said that every penny of donations and offerings should be deposited in the temple treasury. The apex court has said in very clear words that if any kind of obstruction is created by the temple servants or any other person, it will be taken extremely seriously. The court also said that no person associated with the temple management has the right to keep the amount offered before depositing it in the temple treasury.
The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana gave this direction while hearing the petitions of the Management Committee of Banke Bihari Temple. The court said that to prevent irregularities, the temple management will have to implement a transparent system to ensure that there is no manipulation in the amount of offerings. The Supreme Court bench further said that if any property is to be purchased from the temple funds, then the proposal should be brought before the court for consideration before the transaction takes place.
Meanwhile, senior advocate Maninder Singh presented the status report of the high powered committee monitoring the functioning of the temple in the court. He said that there are some serious problems which need attention. Let us tell you that this controversy started when the Uttar Pradesh government took the step to bring the management of the temple under a legal framework through 'Shri Banke Bihari Mandir Trust Ordinance, 2025'. Due to the proposed trust being controlled by the state, questions had been raised regarding the government's involvement in the management of religious institutions.