Six employees of the Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple have been suspended by the temple administration for allegedly duping devotees by selling “fake” laddu prasadam while passing it off as authentic offerings. The action follows an internal inquiry that uncovered a large-scale fraud involving the illegal manufacture and sale of laddus through temple counters.
Among those suspended is Junior Assistant K. Panchamoorthy, identified as the prime accused in the case.
According to officials, the accused procured raw materials in bulk from external sources to produce laddus outside the authorised system and sold them to devotees as genuine prasadam. The fraudulent operation is estimated to have caused a financial loss of over Rs 3.4 crore.
The scam came to light after a surprise audit conducted in March 2026 by the temple’s Joint Commissioner, Chellathurai, who examined records related to the production and distribution of prasadam. The audit reportedly revealed multiple irregularities and discrepancies.
Temple authorities have been directly managing prasadam sales since 2019. In the 2023–24 financial year, a scheme was introduced to distribute free laddu prasadam to devotees on a daily basis. Investigators found that Panchamoorthy, who was in charge of prasadam production and sales, had been systematically diverting a portion of the laddus meant for free distribution.
These diverted laddus were allegedly sold through various counters for personal gain. A detailed probe later confirmed that a group of employees, led by Panchamoorthy, had orchestrated the fraud.
Officials stated that between 2023 and February 2026, approximately 11.4 lakh laddus were illegally manufactured and sold, resulting in a misappropriation of around Rs 3.4 crore.
Following the findings, the temple administration has suspended all six individuals involved. Apart from Panchamoorthy, the accused include Junior Assistants Lavanya and Ambika, ticket seller Selvi, and attendants Sivaneswari and Vikram.
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