First Arrest Made in Sabarimala Adiya Shishtam Ghee Scam: Vigilance Arrests Sunil Kumar Potty
Vigilance officials have arrested Sunil Kumar Potty, a Devaswom employee, for alleged irregularities involving lakhs of rupees in the sale of Adiya Shishtam ghee at Sabarimala Sannidhanam. He was arrested by the Pathanamthitta Vigilance unit. He is the 13th accused in the case and worked as a keezhasanti (assistant priest) at the temple. He had already been suspended by the Devaswom Board.
A total of 33 people, including Devaswom staff and priests, are under investigation in this case. Sunil Kumar Potty was produced before the Kollam Vigilance Court. He works under Chaliyekkara Devaswom in the Punalur group. This is the first arrest in the ghee sale scam that surfaced after the Sabarimala gold theft case.
Adiya Shishtam ghee is the sacred ghee left over after the Neyyabhishekam ritual at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa temple. From November to December 2025, about 3.52 lakh packets of ghee were distributed. But there are no records for 13,679 packets. Investigators found that irregularities worth around Rs 35 lakh happened during this short period.
Each 100 ml packet of ghee is sold to devotees for Rs 100. The money collected should go to the Devaswom Board, but initial checks show that the amount did not reach the official account. Officials also found that the stock records of ghee packets were not properly maintained. Vigilance stepped up action after the High Court strongly criticized corruption within the board.