3 months ago
1
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has opened a preliminary enquiry into the installation of a caller emblem mast astatine the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple successful 2017.
Manoj Abraham, Director, VACB, has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to behaviour a preliminary verification of allegations of corruption, improper accounting, and the misappropriation of sizeable donations, including gold, for the mast’s construction.
The High Court had ordered the Vigilance enquiry and acceptable a 30-day deadline for the bureau to record its preliminary report. The Division Bench has asked the VACB to analyse whether the occurrence constituted a cognisable offence warranting the registration of a case.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) appointed by the past Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) authorities had recommended a caller flagstaff for the temple. The TDB had ordered the installation nether the questionable premise that termites had infested the factual pillar, which was covered with gold-plated copper cladding, rendering it unstable.
Subsequently, the TDB obtained the ritual authorisation of the past elder Tantri (Chief Priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru for the operation of a caller emblem staff. The TDB sought donations for the construction, including golden and cash, done a sponsorship channelled to the temple’s coffers via Unnikrishnan Potti, who has present been arraigned arsenic the main fishy successful the Sabarimala golden theft case.
The TDB’s interior vigilance helping had aboriginal expressed scepticism astir whether the temple authorities had maintained due records of the donations and conducted a technological audit to find however the golden and currency were utilized for construction.
Moreover, the vigilance helping had besides expressed uncertainty astir whether the TDB’s determination to acquisition the Tantri the gold-plated equine statuette atop the emblem mast was successful usurpation of the temple manual.
In 2025, the High Court-appointed Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala golden theft lawsuit recovered the statuette from Mr. Rajeevaru’s residence, days aft helium was arraigned arsenic an accused successful the case.
Several UDF leaders, including the past TDB subordinate and Congress person Ajay Tharayil, welcomed the investigation. He denied immoderate wrongdoing and said the High Court-appointed Amicus Curiae had not faulted immoderate of the past TDB’s actions, including the determination to travel the customized of gifting the idol connected the dismantled emblem unit to the elder Tantri.
In an earlier case, the Crime Branch SIT had argued that the Tantri fell successful the wide class of a nationalist servant, fixed that helium recieved an honorarium from the TDB.
However, Congress leaders said the nationalist would not miss the governmental optics down the move. They pointed retired that the Crime Branch SIT had summoned UDF convener Adoor Prakash for questioning to assemblage retired Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan’s “Puthuyuga Yatra” from the news.
The LDF has maintained that the inquiries were impartial and were being monitored by the High Court.
