Kerala High Court Orders Vigilance Probe into Sabarimala Milma Ghee Scams

In a significant development concerning temple administration and public funds, the Kerala High Court has ordered a full-scale criminal investigation into alleged irregularities and financial misappropriation in the supply of Milma ghee to the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala.

Hearing suo motu proceedings initiated on the basis of a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner, a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar observed that the findings of a preliminary enquiry were “extremely grave” and demanded a meticulous, coordinated probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).

Bypassing Tenders: Unsubstantiated Quality Claims Cost TDB ₹2.27 Crore

The court’s decision stems from a preliminary enquiry by the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). According to official records, the TDB had originally floated competitive e-tenders for supplying ghee for temple rituals and the preparation of Aravana Payasam. The lowest qualified bidder (L1) quoted ₹369 per litre.

However, the Devaswom Board subsequently scrapped the transparent e-tender process. Instead, it awarded the contract to the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) at a significantly higher rate of ₹510 per litre for 1.65 lakh litres.

This decision was justified internally by claims that Milma’s higher quality ghee would reduce the required volume for Aravana production. The Division Bench noted with concern that these assertions were made without any empirical evidence or scientific study. Furthermore, the Devaswom Commissioner had explicitly opposed the proposal, questioning both the unproven quality claims and the inflated procurement expense. The court highlighted that sticking with the lowest valid tender would have saved the TDB approximately ₹2.27 crore.

Third-Party Procurement and Transport Accounting Gaps

The preliminary report raised further red flags regarding the authenticity, testing, and actual physical delivery of the consignment to the hilltop shrine:

• Unverified Quantities: While Milma claimed to have delivered 1,61,535 litres, auditors raised doubts over whether the full quantity reached the Sannidhanam.
• Outsourced Sourcing: Records revealed that after receiving the TDB supply order, Milma purchased nearly 24,970 kg of ghee from Sonai Co-operative Dairy in Pune, Maharashtra. Milma’s defense that this was intended to cover Onam seasonal demand was deemed unconvincing in the preliminary report.
• Absence of Strict Testing: Quality checks upon arrival at Sabarimala were either inadequate or relied heavily on third-party supplier certificates rather than direct batch sampling.

The High Court also pointed to prior directions regulating the collection of leftover ghee from Neyyabhishekam rituals, questioning why massive additional quantities were bought at premium rates when substantial stock was already available on-site.

SIT Formed Under SP M.J. Sojan; One Month Deadline Set

To ensure an uncompromising investigation, the High Court directed the VACB Director to form a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by M.J. Sojan, IPS, Superintendent of Police, VACB Special Cell, Ernakulam. SP Sojan is currently heading another investigation into criminal misappropriation regarding Adiya Sishtam Ghee at Sabarimala.

The court clarified that prior government sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act is not required for this investigation given the nature of the allegations involving public trust and statutory funds. The SIT has been instructed to examine all transportation logs, accounting statements, and testing records, with a mandatory progress report to be submitted to the court within one month. The court also restricted the team from releasing investigation updates to the media, scheduling the next hearing for August 17, 2026.