High Court Orders Full Video Recording of Sabarimala, Malikappuram Melsanthi Elections
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has directed that all proceedings related to the selection of Melsanthis (head priests) at Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples must be fully recorded on video. To ensure transparency, the court has appointed retired judge Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair as observer for the election process.
This year, 119 applications have been submitted for the posts—70 for Sabarimala and 49 for Malikappuram. Of these, 89 candidates have been shortlisted for interviews. The interviews are scheduled for October 3 and 4 at the Travancore Devaswom Board headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Devaswom Bench of the High Court stressed that previous directives issued by both the Supreme Court and High Court regarding priest appointments must be strictly followed. Justice Ramachandran Nair, as observer, will review the interview process and submit a detailed report. The mark sheets from the interviews must be certified by him and preserved by the Devaswom Commissioner.
The court further ordered that CDs of the proceedings, mark lists, and shortlists should be sealed and submitted before October 13. The draw of lots to finalize the Melsanthi appointments will be conducted only after the court examines these documents along with the observer’s report. The observer must also be present during the draw, which is scheduled for October 17.
The High Court emphasized that every stage of the selection process—from interviews to the final draw—should be documented and videographed to ensure transparency and accuracy in the appointment of the chief priests.