Kerala High Court orders probe into ₹35 lakh ghee scam at Sabarimala !

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) – Following the gold theft case at the Sabarimala temple, the Kerala High Court has now ordered the formation of a vigilance team to investigate a ghee scam at the shrine. The allegation pertains to a ₹35,00,000 irregularity in the sale of Adiya Sishtam ghee left over after the Neyyabhishekam ritual. The Court has directed the Special Commissioner for Sabarimala to submit a detailed inquiry report.

1. The Court observed that the alleged misappropriation during the periods 17^th November 2025 to 26^th December 2025, and 27^th December 2025 to 2nd January 2026, is estimated to be around ₹35,00,000. It directed the Vigilance Director to constitute a team of competent officials and to register a case based on the report of the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer. The vigilance team has been instructed to submit a progress report within 1 month.

2. The inquiry revealed that the amount collected from the sale of 16,628 packets of ghee at the sales outlet in the Maramath building was not deposited into the account of the Travancore Devaswom Board. Each packet contained 100 ml of ghee and was sold to devotees at ₹100 per packet. It further emerged that a total of 3,52,050 packets were prepared. Of these, approximately 89,300 packets were sold through the sales counter, but employees deposited proceeds for only 75,450 packets. As a result, the amount corresponding to 13,679 packets, roughly ₹13.68 lakh, was not accounted for.

3. The Board stated that Devaswom employee Sunil Kumar Potti failed to issue receipts to devotees for the ghee sold. Between 24^th November 2025 and 30^th November 2025, an amount of ₹68,200 was not deposited, and this sum was credited only after a delay of 17 days, following specific instructions. In light of this incident, Sunil Kumar Potti has been suspended, and further disciplinary action has been proposed.