A court in Ayodhya has postponed the framing of charges against eight accused in the alleged Ram Mandir offerings theft case after complete copies of the police charge sheet were not available to all defence lawyers.
The court has scheduled the next hearing on October 14, 2026, according to a report by The420.in. The police charge sheet reportedly runs to 36,039 pages, making the supply of the relevant documents to the accused a key issue before the proceedings can move forward.
The delay means the court has not yet proceeded to the stage at which it formally determines the charges to be faced by the accused in the trial.
Why Did the Court Postpone the Framing of Charges?
Special Judge Rajat Verma, presiding over the Prevention of Corruption Act court, had directed on September 23 that copies of the charge sheet be provided to each accused.
During the latest hearing, lawyers representing two accused, Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu, and Subhash Srivastava, reportedly received the documents. However, the remaining defence lawyers had not received their copies.
The court therefore deferred the proceedings rather than proceeding without the required documents being available to all the defence teams.
Access to the charge sheet and supporting material is an important part of criminal proceedings. It enables defence lawyers to examine the evidence gathered by investigators and prepare their response to the allegations.
Subhash Srivastava's Bail Hearing Also Delayed
A separate hearing on the bail application of Subhash Srivastava, a former counting officer who remains in judicial custody in the case, was also postponed.
According to the supplied report, the prosecution requested an adjournment. The bail hearing had already been deferred on three earlier occasions.
The report contains a date inconsistency: it states that the bail application was fixed for October 8, 2026, even though that date had already passed when the article was updated. The current bail hearing date should therefore be confirmed with the court before publication.
The bail proceedings are separate from the process of framing charges, and the outcome will depend on the arguments and material considered by the court.
Trust Reorganises Banking and Accounting Responsibilities
Separately, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has reportedly assigned banking and accounting responsibilities to newly appointed member Madan Mohan Pandey.
According to sources cited in the report, the trust is reorganising responsibilities involving financial transactions, banking procedures and accounting oversight. Some of these functions had previously been handled by former trust member Dr Anil Mishra.
The reported changes are part of a broader redistribution of duties among trust members. The article also says the trust has been placing greater emphasis on internal monitoring and clearly defined responsibilities following the emergence of the alleged offerings theft case.
The reported administrative changes should be distinguished from the criminal proceedings, which remain before the court.
What Happens Next in the Case?
The next hearing on the framing of charges is scheduled for October 14. The court will need to address the outstanding issue of document availability before the proceedings can move forward.
The case remains at a procedural stage, and the allegations against the accused have not been established as proven in a final judgment. The next hearing is expected to clarify how the court will proceed once the defence has access to the required material.
The developments underline the importance of due process, timely access to case documents and clear financial oversight in institutions entrusted with managing public offerings and donations.
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