India, Aug. 11 -- The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear on August 17 a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was apprised by a lawyer that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who has been appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Government, has gone to the United Nations for a function. The bench deferred the hearing to August 17.

Earlier in the day, the top court agreed to consider the request by the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh Government for deferring the hearing on these pleas.

On July 27, the top court took note of setting up of a four-member SIT headed by IGP ...