No bills, no tenders: High Court orders 10-year audit of Sabarimala accounts

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has expressed strong suspicion over long-standing irregularities in the procurement of materials for the Ashtabhishekam and daily rituals at the Sabarimala temple. The court severely criticised the allocation of these contracts to Kollam native Sunil Kumar (alias Sunil Swami) for an extended period without adhering to standard procurement guidelines.

A Devaswom Bench, comprising Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to clarify the circumstances under which Sunil Swami was permitted to supply these goods. The court’s intervention follows a report filed by the Special Commissioner alleging misappropriation of funds, complemented by a preliminary inquiry report from the Devaswom Vigilance.

According to the Vigilance report, Sunil Swami has been "donating" over ten essential ritual items—including rice, puffed rice (malar), jaggery, coconuts, silk, and towels—for several years. The estimated value of these supplies amounts to ₹3 lakh during monthly Pujas and ₹18 lakh during the Mandala season.

However, the Vigilance unearthed severe lapses:

• Missing Documentation: No bills, vouchers, or official register entries exist for these supplies.
• No Competitive Bidding: Standard tender procedures were completely bypassed.
• Storage Anomalies: The materials were stored in a room adjacent to the Administrative Officer's room, paving the way for potential corruption.

The report highlights a grave allegation: even though these items were received as free donations, temple officials allegedly siphoned off money from the Devaswom fund by falsely claiming that the goods were purchased. The lack of financial auditing over the past ten years has further obscured the scale of the fraud.

Ashtabhishekam scam

The Vigilance probe also exposed a specific format of embezzlement tied to the Ashtabhishekam ritual, for which devotees are charged ₹6,000. Out of this, ₹300 is allocated for puja materials.

While five out of the eight required items are supplied directly from the Devaswom store, records claim that the Administrative Officer purchases the remaining three items—milk, rosewater, and tender coconut. This practice has reportedly continued for ten years without a single bill. The Vigilance estimates that this loophole alone facilitated the misappropriation of over ₹5 lakh during just six monthly puja sessions. The figures for the high-revenue Mandala season are yet to be audited.

Court orders immediate action

The High Court noted that Devaswom officials previously implicated in a gold theft case are also suspected to be involved in these procurement irregularities.

To ensure transparency moving forward, the Court has issued the following directives:

1. New Guidelines: Ordered the formulation and submission of fresh guidelines for the transparent procurement of puja materials.
2. State Audit: Directed the State Audit Department to audit and submit a comprehensive report on the Ashtabhishekam accounts spanning the last ten years.
3. Staff Records: Instructed the Devaswom Board to produce detailed records of all officials who have been stationed at the Sannidhanam (temple complex) for extended tenures.

The High Court is scheduled to hear the matter further next week.