Cautioning against politicising the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the allegations of financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds received from devotees by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

"Just a word of caution ... Don't politicise the issue... Courts are not a place for politics... It's a simple case of commission of crime. We are just to ensure a proper investigation," a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said.

The Bench – which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana -- asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh Government, to consider setting up an SIT to probe the case.

Acting on PILs seeking a CBI probe into the matter under the direct supervision of the top court, the Bench had on July 13 issued notice to the Centre, UP Government and the Trust and had asked the SIT constituted by the state government to file a status report on the developments in the case.

At the outset of the hearing on Monday, Mehta told the Bench that the SIT has filed the status report and that investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities was being conducted by the state police.

"Who is investigating (the case) now?" CJI Kant sought to know.

"The SIT was constituted to find out the truthfulness (of allegations). Now, it’s being probed by the state police. The SIT just found that there is a cognizable offence," Mehta told the Bench.

"We will take up the matter after 3-4 days and we will look at the aspect of investigation. The SIT had senior members. Please have instructions if an SIT can be formed for investigation," the CJI said, posting the matter for further hearing on July 27.

"Yes. We will form it and place it on record," Mehta told the Bench.

Indicating that it would pass certain directions on Monday, the Bench adjourned the hearing to peruse the status report.

On behalf of some of the petitioners, senior counsel Devadatt Kamat sought to highlight the alleged disappearance of gold/silver articles and non-accounting of donations received by the temple Trust. He said the receipts should be disclosed on a website.

The Bench, however, didn’t appreciate the idea of disclosure of receipts on a website. "Wherever a receipt is given, that record should be there," the CJI said.

The UP SIT comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan had submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh Government on June 23, following which an FIR was registered and Ayodhya Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ashutosh Tiwari was appointed as the lead investigating officer of the case.

Eight accused have been arrested. Those arrested include Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav. They were associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the Ram Temple.

The first PIL filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, a petitioner-in-person, sought a CBI probe into the matter and an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the finances of the Trust which manages the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

The second one by petitioners-in-person advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav has also sought a fair and time-bound probe by a CBI-led multi-disciplinary SIT into allegations of misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. They wanted the SIT to investigate the alleged financial irregularities and other purported "illegalities" concerning the affairs and administration of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, the third PIL sought transfer of the ongoing probe to the CBI under the top court’s direct supervision. Singh sought a comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, transactions and assets of the Trust by an independent agency. The Trust should be directed to publish audited financial statements and donation records on its official website in the interest of public transparency, the PIL demanded. There is another one filed by Hindu Dharma Parishad.