Kerala IAS officer challenges Travancore Devaswom Board chief K Jayakumar’s appointment in court

Thiruvananthapuram: A petition filed by senior IAS officer Dr B Ashok seeking the disqualification of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar has sparked a major legal and administrative challenge for the newly appointed chief.

The Thiruvananthapuram Principal District Court has accepted the plea and issued notices to Jayakumar and senior government officials to appear on January 15, 2026, marking a major development in the contentious appointment.

The petition contends that Jayakumar, who continues to serve as director of the Institute of Management in Government (IMG), “draws a government salary and is therefore legally barred from holding the post of TDB president under Section 7(iii) of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act”.

The law specifically prohibits individuals receiving government salaries from serving as members or president of the Devaswom Board.

If the court upholds the plea, Jayakumar would be required to resign. Dr Ashok’s petition presents evidence that Jayakumar remained a government-salaried official at the time of his appointment, oath-taking and subsequently, rendering his assumption of office invalid. It also disputes the claim that the Devaswom Board chairmanship can be treated as an additional government assignment.

Jayakumar, however, has stated he plans to resign from IMG soon, noting that it is an autonomous body and asserting that “he is not drawing any salary from the Devaswom Board”.

The controversy emerges amid challenges at Sabarimala, where Jayakumar’s administration has struggled. His announcement that 'Sadya' would be served immediately after assuming office on November 14 has yet to materialise. Issues such as unclean toilets, unfinished preparations and coordination gaps highlight difficulties in implementing his directives across government departments and Devaswom staff.

Jayakumar has been a preferred candidate of successive state governments and was appointed founding vice chancellor of Malayalam University shortly after retiring as Chief Secretary in 2012.

With both legal and administrative pressures mounting, the court’s decision is expected to determine Jayakumar’s future and clarify whether statutory norms were bypassed during his appointment.

IANS