The Kerala High Court has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to initiate a preliminary inquiry into alleged misappropriation of gold and funds related to the installation of a new flag mast (kodimaram) at the Sabarimala temple in 2017.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the directive while reviewing the ongoing investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the reported loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka plates and Sreekovil doorframes of the shrine.
The bench recalled that the decision to replace the existing flag mast was based on its deterioration due to wear and tear. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had informed the court that the project would be fully funded by Phoenix Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad. The court had granted approval in August 2016, subject to supervision by the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, the Devaswom Chief Engineer, and Advocate Commissioner A S P Kurup.
Importantly, the court had ordered that all gold components connected with the old mast be inventoried and retained in accordance with due procedure.
The court took note of records showing that 9.161 kilograms of gold was purchased from the Customs Department on March 22, 2017, and an additional 412 grams was contributed by devotees—bringing the total to 9,573.010 grams. However, only 9,340.200 grams were recorded as having been used in the new mast.
The court expressed concern that there were no sealed receipts in Form 3A issued to individual donors, as mandated by the Devaswom Manual. It noted that the absence of such receipts prevented verification of exact donations and deprived donors of any documentary proof.
“This constitutes a grave violation of Devaswom Rules and established financial accountability norms,” the bench observed.
Highlighting that the SIT was already handling other serious offences linked to the shrine, the court deemed it inappropriate to burden it with this fresh issue. It instead entrusted the matter to the VACB Director, directing a separate team of “competent and upright officers” to conduct a detailed preliminary enquiry.
The scope of the probe is to include:
- Scrutiny of all financial and material records
- Recording statements of individual donors
- Examining whether offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act are disclosed
The VACB Director has been asked to file a report before the court within 30 days.
