Vigilance arrests former priest over ‘irregularities’ in sale of ghee at Sabarimala

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has arrested a erstwhile clergyman nether the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) successful transportation with irregularities successful the merchantability of ghee offerings (Adiya Shishtam ghee) at Sabarimala during the conscionable concluded Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, officials said connected Wednesday.

According to officials, the accused, K.R. Sunilkumar Potti, a autochthonal of Aroor, Alappuzha, and a erstwhile clergyman of the Chaliyekkara Bhadrakali temple nether the Punalur group of the TDB, was taken into custody by the Pathanamthitta Vigilance unit. He had been entrusted by the TDB with the work of selling Adiya Shishtam ghee in Sabarimala during the 2025-2026 pilgrimage season.

According to the Vigilance, employees appointed by the TDB for the merchantability of ghee successful packets during the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival allegedly indulged successful large-scale irregularities by failing to remit the afloat merchantability proceeds to the board. Instead, manipulation of banal and accounts was carried out, causing a fiscal nonaccomplishment of ₹36,24,400 to the board. Following a Vigilance probe, a lawsuit was registered with TDB employees arsenic accused.

The probe found Sunilkumar Potti, arraigned arsenic 13th accused, had misappropriated and converted the merchantability proceeds of 62 packets of ghee worthy ₹68,200, for his ain usage for 17 days. The arrested was produced earlier the Kollam Vigilance Court and remanded successful judicial custody.

₹100 per packet

The ghee, labelled arsenic ‘Adiya Shishtam Neyy,’ is sold arsenic an offering successful 100 ml packets, priced astatine ₹100 each. The alleged irregularity came to airy during a Vigilance inspection of records, which revealed that the magnitude corresponding to the packets sold had not been remitted to the TDB account.

The inspection besides recovered that due records were not being maintained connected the fig of packets issued for merchantability and the remaining stock, creating country for specified irregularities. There are besides allegations that akin lapses were reported connected earlier occasions arsenic well, but were often brushed nether the carpet arsenic specified accounting errors.