Kochi, May 18 The Kerala High Court on Monday flagged alleged financial irregularities in connection with the conduct of poojas, procurement of materials for them and the role of temple officials in the exercise, and called for a detailed audit of the accounts related to the conduct of the rituals.
A bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the direction based on the Sabarimala Special Commissioner's report with the court observing that if the allegations in it were found to be true it would disclose "long-standing irregular practices involving public funds and temple administration".
It would warrant immediate examination and corrective measures at the highest level, the bench added.
The court said that a devotee had complained of objectionable and irregular practices allegedly prevailing at the hill-top shrine and a preliminary vigilance enquiry had found some irregularities in the manner in which supplier costs were being claimed and appropriated in connection with the 'Ashtabhishekam' poojas for over a decade.
The court noted that of the eight materials required for the pooja, five were being issued from the Devaswom store and the remaining three -- milk, tender coconut and 'panineer' (rose water) -- were being procured from outside.
However, according to the vigilance enquiry, the Rs 300 earmarked for all eight items was being claimed towards supplier cost for the pooja without producing any valid bills, vouchers or supporting purchase records, even though five items were being issued from the Devaswom store.
According to the vigilance report, the practice has allegedly been going on for several years and "substantial amounts have been appropriated by successive Administrative Officers under the guise of supplier costs".
The vigilance report also stated that by merely examining the accounts relating to six 'Masa Poojas', from August 2024 to March 2026, the amount involved itself comes to Rs 5.15 lakh, the court noted.
The report has not taken into account the 'Ashtabhishekam' poojas conducted during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season and several other pooja periods, the court noted.
The findings were objected to by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which said it would file a detailed statement controverting the allegations.
Another issue highlighted by the vigilance was the supply of pooja materials by one Sunil Kumar also known as Sunil Swamy and the items being stored in a room under the custody and control of the Administrative Officer without being accounted for in the Devaswom records and without issuing any receipts to the supplier.
The vigilance enquiry also found that quality, purity and quantity of the materials supplied by Kumar were never verified or certified by any competent authority.
"The vigilance officer has further reported that the said Sunil Kumar allegedly incurred expenses of approximately Rs 3 lakh during 'Masa Poojas' and nearly Rs 18 lakh during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season towards supply of pooja materials.
"According to the report, the continuous acceptance of pooja materials from a single individual, without any transparent procedure, proper authority or financial accountability, in a temple of the stature and importance of Sabarimala, would inevitably create room for corruption and administrative misuse atvarious levels," the bench noted.
The court directed the TDB lawyer to obtain specific instructions regarding the acts and conduct of Kumar and explain under what authority and circumstances the Board permitted him to continue supplying materials to the temple.
It also directed the Board to submit a comprehensive report "regarding the procedure being followed for procurement of pooja materials under the Stores Purchase Rules, along with the relevant rules, circulars and guidelines governing such procurement, so as to ensure transparency, accountability and financial discipline in temple administration".
It also sought a report from the TDB regarding the tenure of officials like the Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, Administrative Officer, Temple Special Officers and other senior officials now serving at Sabarimala.
"This direction is being issued because it has come to our notice that certain officers have continued to occupy one post or another at Sannidhanam for prolonged periods. Such concentration of administrative control in sensitive posts may not augur well for the efficient, transparent and impartial functioning of the temple administration," the court said.
It also called for the accounts, vouchers and records relating to the amounts disbursed towards supplier costs for 'Ashtabhishekam' poojas.
"We further direct the Director, Kerala State Audit Department, to conduct a detailed examination of the accounts relating to the conduct of Ashtabhishekams during the past ten years and to submit a report before this court indicating whether the TDB has suffered any financial loss on account of the practices referred to above and identifying the officers responsible for the same," the bench said.
It listed the matter for hearing on May 28.
Kochi, May 18 The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted the SIT two more weeks to complete its probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala artefacts.
A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar extended the time after the Special Investigation Team informed the court that it had not yet received a detailed report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur, on around 36 gold samples collected from the artefacts for analysis.
The SIT told the court that the sample analysis involves highly specialised tests that require considerable time for completion. It also submitted that the lab has indicated the final report is expected within 10 days.
“It is only upon receipt of the said report that the investigating agency will be in a position to conclusively ascertain the exact nature and extent of gold plating on the gold-cladded plates, the quantity of gold involved, and whether any substitution or swapping of copper plates had taken place,” the bench noted.
The court also observed that the SIT had submitted that only after receiving the report can the complicity of various persons involved in the removal of gold-clad copper plates from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols be determined.
It further noted that the registration of fresh cases against those involved would also depend on the outcome of the report.
“We are therefore satisfied that the report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory is indispensable for a complete understanding of the facts under investigation and for fixing liability,” the court said.
“Having considered the SIT’s report and the nature of the ongoing investigation, we are inclined to grant a further period of two weeks to complete the exercise,” it added.
The SIT, appointed by the High Court, is probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at Sabarimala.
Earlier, due to the non-availability of the analysis report, the court had extended the SIT’s time till May 18 in its March 26 order.
