Sabarimala Ghee Scam: Kerala HC Forms SIT To Probe Rs 3 Crore Milma Ghee Procurement Scam

New Delhi: The Kerala High Court has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the procurement and supply of Milma ghee to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, in a case involving an alleged loss of nearly Rs 3 crore to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

According to information accessed by Republic, the Vigilance SIT is set to register an FIR on Wednesday and submit it before the Vigilance Court.

Former members of the previous Travancore Devaswom Board administration, including former president P.S. Prasanth, are expected to be named as accused in the case.

The probe centres on the Board's decision to procure around 1.65 lakh litres of ghee from Milma at Rs 510 per litre, bypassing the e-tender process. Investigators allege that despite a Tamil Nadu-based company offering ghee at Rs 372 per litre through the tender, the Board opted to purchase from Milma, allegedly causing substantial financial loss to the temple administration.

The Vigilance investigation is also examining allegations that the ghee supplied was of substandard quality and that there were discrepancies in the quantity delivered. These issues are expected to form a key part of the SIT's investigation.

The Kerala High Court constituted the six-member SIT to ensure an independent and time-bound investigation into the alleged procurement irregularities. The court also directed that the team be headed by a senior Vigilance officer to ensure transparency in the probe.

The procurement case is separate from another ongoing Vigilance investigation into alleged irregularities in the sale of Aadiya Sishtam Ghee packets offered as prasadam at Sabarimala.

In that case, more than 30,000 ghee packets worth around Rs 30 lakh reportedly went missing, with several temple employees accused of stealing and misappropriating the packets.

Earlier this year, the High Court had ordered a detailed vigilance probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to ghee sales and distribution at the shrine.

The registration of the FIR is expected to mark the beginning of a criminal investigation into one of the biggest alleged procurement scams linked to the Sabarimala temple administration in recent years.

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