₹35 Lakh Ghee Sale Scam at Sabarimala: Kerala High Court Orders Vigilance Probe Against Devaswom Employees

The Kerala High Court on January 13, 2026, took note of a vigilance report that revealed large-scale misappropriation of funds from the sale of “Adiya Sishtam Ghee” at Sabarimala, running into nearly Rs. 35 lakh over a short period of less than two months.

"We are shocked and deeply disturbed by the turn of events...The very fact that such large-scale diversion of funds could occur within such a limited span of time clearly points to deep-rooted and systemic failures...It is difficult to even imagine the magnitude of misappropriation that may have occurred over a longer period and across other revenue streams," said the bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K. V. Jayakumar.

The judges stressed that siphoning of such magnitude could not have been carried out without the knowledge, acquiescence, or at least wilful blindness of persons occupying positions at the higher rungs of the administrative hierarchy.

Therefore, bench held that a comprehensive investigation was needed to ascertain the full extent of the misappropriation of funds by employees of the Travancore Devaswom Board at Sannidhanam in relation to the sale of “Adiya Sishtam Ghee”.

Court was considering the report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner in a suo motu case. The report detailed glaring irregularities detected during an inspection conducted by the Devaswom Vigilance wing.

Court noted that the ghee, considered a sacred offering by devotees, is sold through counters at Sannidhanam and the proceeds form part of the temple’s revenue. 

According to the report, the inspection was carried out after information was received on December 14, 2025, regarding non-remittance of sale proceeds from the Maramath Building counter. It was found that between November 17 and December 26, 2025, as many as 3,52,050 packets of ghee, each containing 100 ml, were packed by a contractor and supplied for sale. The ghee, packing machines, materials and infrastructure were all provided by the Travancore Devaswom Board, with the contractor being paid ₹0.20 per packet for packing.

The vigilance inspection revealed that 89,300 packets were sold from the Maramath Building counter during the relevant period. After deducting damaged packets and accounting for the negligible balance stock, proceeds corresponding to 89,129 packets ought to have been remitted to the Board. However, money was deposited only for 75,450 packets. The resulting short remittance of 13,679 packets translated into a loss of ₹13.67 lakh.

Court observed that the scale of the shortfall could not be dismissed as a mere accounting lapse. It also noted that basic procedures such as stock verification during handing over of charge were routinely ignored, creating an environment conducive to diversion of funds and making accountability difficult.

The report further revealed another major discrepancy during a subsequent stock verification. As on December 27, 2025, the recorded stock was 32,040 packets. An additional 22,200 packets were supplied thereafter. While 25,690 packets were issued for sale, physical verification on January 2, 2026 showed that only 5,985 packets were available, leaving a shortage of 22,565 packets. The potential revenue loss from this shortage alone was estimated at ₹22.65 lakh.

The bench noted that the facts disclosed prima facie made out offences of criminal misappropriation, falsification of accounts and other cognizable offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, apart from offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Serious allegations were also recorded against an employee accused of failing to issue receipts to devotees and delaying remittance of ₹68,200 collected from sales for over two weeks.

Expressing shock at the magnitude of the irregularities, court also took note of earlier instances of embezzlement flagged in Devaswom institutions, including irregularities at a Devaswom-run petrol pump and unresolved audit objections in past cases. Therefore, court underscored the need for a thorough and independent probe.

The bench accordingly suo motu impleaded the Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and directed that a crime be registered based on the complaint dated January 10, 2026. Court asked the bureau to constitute a dedicated investigation team to conduct a meticulous probe and submit a progress report to the court within one month.

Court also clarified that prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was not required in the present case.

Case Title: Suo motu vs State of Kerala

Order Date: January 13, 2026

Bench: Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K. V. Jayakumar