Questions over missing gold, faulty records and alleged financial irregularities have resurfaced at the Sabarimala Temple, prompting the Kerala High Court to order a vigilance enquiry into the installation of the temple’s flag mast, one of the shrine’s most sensitive and symbolically significant structures.

The High Court has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to conduct a preliminary enquiry to examine whether offences such as criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, falsification of records and cheating were committed in connection with the project.

COMPLAINT BY DEVOTEE TRIGGERS SCRUTINY

The direction follows a Devaswom Vigilance enquiry initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by a devotee, who alleged misappropriation of gold and cash during the installation of a new temple flag mast in 2017.

According to the vigilance report submitted before the court, the total quantity of gold available for the project was recorded as 9,573.010 grams, while the quantity shown as utilised for the flag mast stood at 9,340.200 grams, raising questions over accounting and reconciliation.

RECORDS FOUND WANTING

The Devaswom Vigilance report also flags serious deficiencies in documentation. It records that the specific quantity of gold donated by individual devotees was not properly reflected in official records, a lapse that undermines the transparency and traceability of offerings made to the temple.

Vigilance officials have pointed to “serious procedural lapses” and described the irregularities as a grave violation of Devaswom Rules and established financial accountability norms governing temple administration.

COURT SETS DEADLINE

Taking note of the findings, the Kerala High Court has now directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to carry out a detailed preliminary enquiry into the allegations and submit its findings within 30 days.

The case adds to a growing list of judicial interventions involving the administration of Sabarimala, underlining the heightened scrutiny over financial practices at one of the country’s most prominent pilgrimage centres.

– Ends