Crime Branch to Probe Alleged Irregularities in Milma Ghee Supply to Sabarimala: Kerala Minister

The Kerala government has decided to hand over the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the supply of Milma ghee to the Sabarimala temple to the Crime Branch, expanding the scope of the probe beyond an internal vigilance inquiry.

Kerala Devaswoms Minister K. Muraleedharan announced on Tuesday that the Devaswom Vigilance Superintendent of Police has been directed to secure all files related to the case and hand them over to the Crime Branch. The minister said the transfer was necessary because the allegations involve possible ghee adulteration.

According to Muraleedharan, the ghee purchased from Milma was allegedly not the same product that ultimately reached Sannidhanam, the hill shrine where it is used to prepare the temple's famed Aravana prasadam. He claimed the original ghee may have been diverted and replaced before delivery.

The move comes a day after the Kerala High Court directed the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) to investigate the matter. The court observed that materials collected during a preliminary inquiry by the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer indicated a prima facie possibility of a coordinated operation involving certain officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board and others connected with the procurement and supply of Milma ghee. The court said the alleged irregularities may have caused substantial financial loss to the Board and resulted in the supply of substandard ghee for preparing Aravana.

The controversy is part of a wider investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Milma Union, whose governing body was recently dissolved by the state government following allegations of corruption and mismanagement, including claims linked to the Sabarimala ghee supply chain.

On Monday, Milma Chairman K. S. Mani denied that the dairy cooperative had any role in the alleged irregularities. Milma maintained that it supplied quality-tested ghee and asserted that any alleged tampering, if it occurred, would have taken place after the product left its custody.