Sabarimala Ghee Case: Kerala High Court Rejects Bail Plea of Former Special Officer
The Kerala High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by former Sabarimala Special Officer S.R. Santhosh Kumar in connection with a vigilance case alleging misappropriation of funds from the sale of ‘Aadiya Sishtam ghee’ at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple.
Justice A. Badharudeen rejected the petition on Monday, stating that the investigation is still at an early stage. Earlier, a High Court division bench had ordered a vigilance inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities during the previous Mandala–Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, based on a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
Opposing the anticipatory bail request, the investigation team informed the court that 33 individuals — including three temple special officers and 30 counter staff — have been named as accused. The alleged misappropriation identified so far amounts to ₹21.39 lakh.
In his plea, Santhosh Kumar denied involvement in the alleged offence and stated that he suffers from 60% visual impairment. However, the court observed that it was his responsibility to ensure proper management of the ghee counters and to confirm that all collections were duly credited to the account of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The court further held that custodial interrogation was necessary to determine the extent of the misappropriation and the utilisation of the funds, and therefore dismissed the bail petition.