Sabarimala Pooja Material Procurement Case: HC Seeks Explanation for Continued Posting of Two Officials
Kochi, June 19, 2026: The Kerala High Court on Friday sought an explanation from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) regarding the continued retention of two senior officials in connection with alleged irregularities in the procurement of Ashtabhishekam pooja materials at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Swamy temple.
The two officials had been associated with the procurement process, which is currently under judicial scrutiny.
During the hearing, the court directed the TDB to furnish details of the various positions held over the years by O.G. Biju and S. Sreenivas. According to records presented before the court, Mr. Biju served as Administrative Officer at Sabarimala from 2023 to 2024. He subsequently held the posts of Vigilance Officer, Deputy Devaswom Commissioner (Inspection), and Deputy Devaswom Commissioner (Digitisation). Since August 2025, he has been serving as Executive Officer, Sabarimala.
Mr. Sreenivas served as Main Store Superintendent in the Sabarimala Executive Office between 2022 and 2024. He was later posted as Assistant Audit Officer at Mavelikkara for eight months before being transferred back to Sabarimala as Assistant Executive Officer. Since August 2025, he has been holding the position of Administrative Officer, Sabarimala.
The High Court noted that it had previously directed that officials appointed to the administration of the Sabarimala temple should not remain in the same establishment for more than one year.
The court also granted the Travancore Devaswom Board additional time to provide details of the independent auditor engaged to examine transactions related to the procurement of pooja materials over the past decade. Furthermore, the court directed the Audit Department to specify the methodology that would be adopted for auditing records covering the ten-year period.
The matter forms part of the ongoing judicial examination of procurement practices at the Sabarimala temple, one of the country's most prominent pilgrimage centres.