Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board has reportedly disregarded the High Court’s directive to exercise utmost caution when appointing officials to sensitive positions at Sabarimala. In a recent order, the Board retained several officials in key posts, including an Executive Officer who had come under judicial scrutiny in connection with corruption allegations.

According to an order issued by the Board on 30 May, Executive Officer O.G. Biju and five other officials have been allowed to continue in their existing positions. The decision comes despite strong observations made by the High Court on 18 May regarding irregularities linked to the Ashtabhishekam ritual at Sabarimala.

The Court had noted that the repeated transfer of certain officials to influential positions at Sabarimala undermined the impartial administration of the temple. During O.G. Biju’s tenure as Executive Officer, allegations surfaced that the distribution of materials used for the Ashtabhishekam was facilitated for controversial figure Sunil Swami.

Biju was also serving as Executive Officer during the period in which irregularities were alleged in the distribution of ghee residue. Questions were further raised over the decision to send the residue to Chennai in 2025 for gold-plating work on the Dwarapalaka sculptures.

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The Board leadership has also been accused of allowing leaders of a CPM-affiliated service organisation within the Devaswom Board to remain in their positions.

Although Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar IAS has repeatedly asserted that the Board follows a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, critics argue that the continued protection of controversial officials contradicts those claims. They contend that the latest order amounts to a clear violation of the spirit of the High Court’s directive.

While the Board maintains that it has initiated measures to eliminate corruption, the decision has reignited debate over past controversies and raised fresh questions about accountability within the temple administration.

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