Sabarimala Ghee Case: HC Pulls Up Temple Authorities Over Poor Record-Keeping, 33 Named Accused

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 20:19 IST

The court said that it was shocking to see the careless and casual way in which records were kept and the revenue from the sale of sacred offerings was accounted for.

A vigilance probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds from the sale of ghee at Sabarimala has named 33 persons as accused, including Temple Special Officers and nearly 30 counter staff.

While hearing the matter, the High Court expressed strong displeasure over the manner in which records were maintained. The court said it was “shocking to note the callous and casual manner in which records are maintained, and the income generated from the sale of sacred offerings is accounted for."

The judges observed that even a small shopkeeper would be expected to maintain better financial discipline. “Even a person running a modest petty shop would be expected to maintain far better accounting discipline to ensure that income and stock are properly reconciled," the court remarked.

According to the proceedings, ghee packets were issued to counters after being recorded in notebooks informally referred to as “Kutti Books". Separate notebooks were maintained for each counter and kept in the temple office. These books recorded the number of packets issued along with the signatures of the staff receiving them.

Investigating officers produced one such 200-page school notebook before the court, relating to the Maramathu-II counter. On examining it, the court noted that entries covering the period from 17 November 2025 to 30 December 2025 occupied only about 20 pages. The notebook also contained several corrections, overwriting and interlineations, which drew the court’s disapproval.

The court further observed that the Temple Board and its officials were expected to exercise much greater supervision, especially since the sale of offerings generates several lakhs of rupees daily.

News india Sabarimala Ghee Case: HC Pulls Up Temple Authorities Over Poor Record-Keeping, 33 Named Accused

Read More