The Kerala government has appointed a senior police officer to conduct a fresh assessment on whether a corruption case should be registered over the alleged misappropriation of funds at the Sabarimala temple.
The High Court of Kerala has directed MJ Sojan, a Superintendent of Police with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Special Cell in Ernakulam, to carry out a detailed investigation into the alleged theft of revenue from the sale of Adiya Sishtam Ghee, a sacred offering.
A division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar ordered the officer to review all case records, including audit and security reports, and submit a comprehensive report by September 23. The court granted Sojan the two-month period he requested to complete necessary actions, including establishing criminal liability.
Court Rejects Initial Vigilance Findings
The appointment of the senior investigator follows a June 9 court ruling that ordered an independent re-evaluation of the suspected financial irregularities. The bench expressed dissatisfaction with an earlier VACB report, noting that the agency’s findings seemed to downplay the scale of the financial loss suffered by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the hill shrine.
In its previous submission, the VACB had argued that it was unable to assign individual responsibility to temple special officers or counter staff due to poor record-keeping. The agency concluded that all 43 accused employees were collectively responsible for the loss and recommended only internal disciplinary action to prevent future lapses.
However, the High Court rejected those recommendations. The bench stated that a deeper investigation is essential when an initial inquiry reveals significant financial losses, unexplained accounting discrepancies, and a failure to account for temple property. The court maintained that the gravity of the case required a reassessment by a highly competent senior officer.
Details Of The Alleged Fraud
The case centers on a suspected loss of more than Rs 17 lakh to the TDB during the pilgrimage season from November 17, 2025, to December 27, 2025.
The High Court originally initiated the proceedings on its own initiative following a report from the TDB’s Chief Vigilance and Security Officer. That report revealed that the sales proceeds from 16,628 packets of ghee sold at the Sannidhanam shrine had not been deposited into the Devaswom accounts.
