Kerala HC directs SIT to conduct foolproof probe into Milma ghee misappropriation case
The Kerala High Court has ordered a thorough investigation by a Special Investigation Team into alleged misappropriation of funds and ghee procurement irregularities by Milma for the Sabarimala temple. The court's intervention follows reports of bypassed e-tender processes and concerns regarding the quantity of supplies.
Why it matters
This case involves the intersection of religious administration and public procurement, highlighting the need for transparency in state-run cooperative operations.
The Kerala High Court has directed the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to investigate the alleged misappropriation in the purchase and supply of ghee by the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (Milma) to Sabarimala Sannidhanam to conduct a “foolproof and expeditious probe.”
A Division Bench of Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar noted that certain records were seized from the offices of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) at Sabarimala, Nilackal, Erumely, Pathanamthitta, Pandalam and Thiruvananthapuram.
Some records were seized from the offices of Milma at Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta as well. Numerous witnesses have also been questioned, the SIT reported.
The court had found irregularities in the procurement of ghee from Milma for the preparation of ‘aravana’ during the annual pilgrimage season in 2025-26, in the reports filed by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner R. Jayakrishnan and the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the TDB.
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