Delhi High Court sets aside CIC order to disclose tax exemptions sought by Ayodhya Ram temple trust

The Delhi High Court has set aside an order issued by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that directed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to provide information related to tax exemptions/ deductions sought by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth KshetraShri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth KshetraShri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was set up by the Union government in February 2020 for the construction and management of the Ram Mandir, following the orders of the Supreme Court. The trust, which has 15 members, has collected about ₹3,500 crore in donations since its establishment. The temple trust disclosed that it had received donations of up to ₹25 crore since January 22, when the temple was consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following a query under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act), the CIC directed the CBDT in November 2022 to share the complete details of applications filed by the Ram temple trust for getting exemptions/ deductions under Section 80G(2)(b) of the Income Tax Act for its donations.