The Travancore Devaswom Board, which is already under intense scrutiny over a gold-related scandal, has been hit by fresh allegations of corruption at Sabarimala. On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court took a dim view of a reported fraud involving "Adiya Sishtam" ghee — the sacred offering sold to pilgrims — and ordered a full-scale vigilance probe into the matter.
The issue came to light following an internal inspection triggered by a report from the Temple Special Officer. The findings were stark: between mid-November and late December last year, proceeds from over 13,000 packets of ghee, totalling nearly ₹13.7 lakh, never made it into the Board’s accounts. The situation appeared to worsen over the following week, with a further shortage of over 22,000 packets reported, valued at more than ₹22.6 lakh.
A bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar didn't mince words, noting that such large-scale embezzlement would have been impossible without the "knowledge, acquiescence, or at least willful blindness" of senior officials. The court highlighted a total breakdown in basic procedures, pointing out that stock wasn't even being checked when officers changed shifts, and records were being kept in a way that was both irregular and unlawful.
While one official, Sunil Kumar Potty, has already been suspended in connection with a separate missing sum of ₹68,200, the court suggested the problem is far more systemic. The judges even drew parallels to a previous case at the Board-run petrol pump in Nilakkal, where ₹40 lakh was reportedly misappropriated.
With the sacred ghee sales forming a significant chunk of the temple’s revenue, the court has now tasked the Director of the Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau with forming a dedicated team to investigate the syndicate. A progress report is expected within a month.
Also read: ED files money laundering case in Sabarimala gold scam case
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