Sabarimala temple ghee scandal triggers Crime Branch investigation
Kerala's Sabarimala temple has come under scrutiny after a report found inferior quality ghee in its sacred offerings. Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan ordered a Crime Branch probe, saying the issue goes beyond food adulteration and "deceiving, cheating and exploiting the faith of devotees." The Travancore Devaswom Board had contracted the state‑run dairy Milma to supply 1.65 lakh litres of ghee for the 2025‑26 pilgrimage season; 1.5 lakh litres arrived in 30 batches of 5,000 litres each. Only six batches were tested, and all were deemed substandard. The investigation will determine whether tampering occurred before the consignments left the supplier or after they reached Sabarimala. The government has mandated quality testing of every batch and introduced digital tracking of the supply chain. Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar said future ghee will be sourced only from pilgrim offerings and denied any board involvement in the alleged irregularities.
Entities: Crime Branch · K. Jayakumar · K. Muraleedharan · Milma · Sabarimala Temple · Travancore Devaswom Board
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan ordered a Crime Branch investigation into alleged irregularities in the ghee supply to Sabarimala temple. (minister statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Crime Branch probe will examine whether tampering occurred before the consignments left the supplier or after they reached Sabarimala. (investigation scope)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Travancore Devaswom Board contracted Milma to supply 1.65 lakh litres of ghee for the 2025‑26 pilgrimage season. (contract details)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Of the 1.5 lakh litres delivered in 30 batches, only six batches were tested and all were found to be of inferior quality. (inspection report)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar said the board will use only ghee received from pilgrims in future and will not purchase externally. (board president statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The government announced mandatory quality testing of each ghee batch and digital tracking of the supply chain. (government measures)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] TDB president K. Jayakumar denied any role of the board in the alleged ghee irregularities. (board president denial)