Kerala High Court directs an independent re-evaluation of the alleged ₹17 lakh loss linked to Sabarimala ghee sales
June 11, 2026: The Kerala High Court has ordered an independent re-evaluation of the alleged misappropriation of funds connected to the sale of Adiya Sishtam Ghee, a sacred offering sold at the Sabarimala temple. A division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar expressed dissatisfaction with the report submitted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), observing that the findings appeared to downplay the seriousness of the financial loss suffered by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). The court directed that the matter be re-examined by a senior officer with proven integrity, competence, and experience.
The bench stated that the entire investigation record should be independently reviewed to determine whether offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita are made out. The court noted that the VACB itself had found evidence of entrustment of ghee packets to staff members and a failure to properly account for them. However, despite these findings, the agency recommended closure of the case, citing an inability to determine the exact quantity entrusted to individual employees due to poor record maintenance.
The case relates to an alleged loss of more than ₹17 lakh arising from the sale of 16,628 ghee packets at Sabarimala between November 17 and December 27, 2025. The court observed that the irregularities may have existed before and after the period under investigation and could not be treated merely as administrative lapses. Stressing that temple employees are public servants entrusted with fiduciary responsibilities, the court directed a comprehensive fresh report within four weeks to determine whether criminal liability exists and to identify those responsible for the loss.