A contractor was arrested as the minister alleged Devaswom officials helped divert Sabarimala-bound ghee. The continuing vigilance probe raises concerns over temple procurement and protection of sacred assets.Thiruvananthapuram,Oct 25, 2026 15:42 ISTKerala Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan on Sunday alleged that officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board were involved in a ghee diversion case linked to the Sabarimala temple, news agency Press Trust of India reported.A transport contractor was recently arrested for allegedly diverting 11,000 litres of Milma ghee meant for the temple and replacing it with a cheaper product.
The alleged diversion caused an estimated loss of Rs 2.5 crore to the board.Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Muraleedharan alleged that some Devaswom officials were involved in misappropriating temple assets.“There has been one arrest in the case. The investigation will continue as it would not have happened without the involvement of certain Devaswom officials.
Some Devaswom officials are involved in misappropriating God's assets,” the minister said. Muraleedharan said the government was closely monitoring the case and was receiving full cooperation from the Travancore Devaswom Board.The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's Special Investigation Unit recently arrested transport contractor S S Binu in connection with the case, officials told PTI.
Binu had been awarded the contract to transport the ghee to the hill shrine for the 2025 pilgrimage season. This was the first arrest in the case.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is investigating the alleged irregularities following a Kerala High Court directive to examine the procurement and quality of ghee supplied to the temple.Milma is the brand name of the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation.According to the bureau, the Travancore Devaswom Board had procured Milma ghee from its Pathanamthitta dairy to prepare Aravana payasam, a sweet made with red rice, jaggery and ghee and offered as prasadam at the Lord Ayyappa temple.The board awarded the supply contract directly to the dairy without inviting quotations. The contract to transport the ghee was later awarded to Binu, officials said.The bureau has alleged that the original ghee meant for Sabarimala was diverted to two agencies in Tamil Nadu and replaced with a cheaper product that was supplied to the shrine.The investigation into the alleged diversion of 11,000 litres of ghee is continuing, with the minister alleging the involvement of Devaswom officials and the state government monitoring the case.- Ends