Kerala HC Orders Probe After 33 Temple Staff Named In Sabarimala Ghee Scam, Sets 45 Day Deadline For Report Submission

Kochi: The vigilance team on Thursday informed the Kerala High Court that 33 individuals, including three temple special officers and 30 counter staff, have been arrayed as accused in the Sabarimala ghee scam involving the alleged misappropriation of approximately Rs. 21.39 lakh from the sale of ‘aadiya sishtam ghee.’

During the proceedings, the court flagged a serious lack of oversight by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), noting that the distribution of ghee packets was being recorded in unofficial notebooks containing multiple corrections and overwriting instead of a formal accounting system.

Consequently, the bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar directed the vigilance team to complete its investigation within 45 days and ordered the Devaswom Board to implement a fully transparent and accountable financial framework for all temple offerings, with a detailed action plan to be submitted by February 27.

Meanwhile, in the Sabarimala gold theft case, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted bail to the accused Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru on Wednesday from the Poojappura Central Prison.

Rajeevaru was released after completing 41 days in judicial remand. The court granted him bail in cases alleging misappropriation of gold from the temple's Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures and the Kattilappaali (door frame).

Earlier, on January 9, Rajeevar, the Chief priest (Tantri) of Sabarimala, was arrested by the Crime Branch in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. He was questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Kerala police said.
The arrest was made after multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, were levelled against him.

According to the arrest notice issued under Section 48 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the case pertains to alleged irregularities in the removal and handling of gold-plated copper panels and ornamental structures fixed on the sanctum sanctorum door of the Sabarimala temple. 

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