KOCHI: Following the recent sensational gold theft case at the hill shrine, a major financial misappropriation has been uncovered at Sabarimala—this time involving the sale of ‘Adiya Sishtam Ghee,’ a sacred offering for devotees. Taking serious note of the matter, the Kerala High Court has ordered a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The court directed the bureau to constitute a team of “upright and competent officers” to investigate the siphoning of approximately Rs 35 lakh within a short span of less than two months. The irregularity came to light following a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
According to the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the sale proceeds of 16,628 packets of ghee sold from the counter in the Maramath Building were never remitted to the Devaswom account.
Details of the Discrepancy: The packing task was entrusted to a contractor from Palakkad, who was paid 20 paise per packet. While the TDB provided all infrastructure, including the packing machines and the ghee itself, the manual tracking of sales showed a massive gap.
Between November 17, 2025, and December 26, 2025, a total of 3,52,050 packets (100ml each) were prepared. Records show that at one specific counter, 89,300 packets were handled. After accounting for damaged packets and remaining stock, the proceeds for 89,129 packets should have been remitted. However, employees only deposited money for 75,450 packets, leaving a deficit of Rs 13,67,900 from that single counter alone.
The court observed that the magnitude of the short remittance in such a limited time frame is “alarming” and cannot be treated as a mere accounting lapse. Furthermore, the court noted serious allegations against an individual named Sunil Kumar Potti, who was stationed at the temple during multiple phases of the season. (TNIE)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com