Kerala HC grants 30-day extension in Sabarimala Ghee fund scam probe

The Kerala High Court has granted a 30-day extension to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to complete its investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds from the sale of ‘ Adiya Sishtam Ghee ’ at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar allowed the plea after the VACB informed the court that the probe had expanded, with nine additional staff members of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) coming under suspicion. Initially, an FIR had been registered against 33 individuals.

The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the handling of ghee packets sold to devotees as a sacred offering. Investigators found that proceeds from 16,628 packets were not credited to the Devaswom account. Additionally, a shortage of 22,565 packets during a six-day period between December 27, 2025, and January 2, 2026, resulted in an estimated loss of ₹22.65 lakh.

The VACB cited poor and improper maintenance of records by the TDB as a major hurdle, making it difficult to track transactions and fix responsibility. The emergence of new suspects has further complicated the probe, necessitating additional time for detailed verification.

Accepting these reasons, the High Court termed the request justified and directed the agency to carry out a comprehensive and exhaustive investigation , clearly identifying the role of each accused. It also instructed the VACB to seek prior court approval before filing its final report.

The case was initiated following a vigilance report highlighting discrepancies in ghee sales, prompting the court earlier this year to order a formal probe by a dedicated team.