Thiruvananthapuram: An FIR registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has alleged that irregularities in the procurement of ghee for Sabarimala resulted in a loss of ₹2.28 lakh to the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The FIR names P S Prashanth, A Ajikumar and Murari Babu as the first, second and third accused respectively. It alleges that Prashanth and Ajikumar deliberately committed irregularities in the procurement process, while Executive Officer Murari Babu abetted the alleged violations.

The accused have been booked for criminal breach of trust and three offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Vigilance investigation is ongoing.

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According to the FIR, three companies had submitted tenders for supplying ghee to Sabarimala. However, the companies were excluded from the process without any clear reason being recorded. Murari Babu subsequently sent a letter recommending the purchase of ghee from Milma.

The FIR states that Prashanth, without citing a reason, wrote "Tender is cancelled" in his own handwriting. He then permitted the purchase of ghee from Milma and authorised the Executive Officer to decide the quantity. Prashanth and board member A Ajikumar signed below the note.

On December 30, 2024, Murari Babu sent a letter to the board recommending the purchase of ghee from Milma. The FIR points out that tenders or supply contracts for the following pilgrimage season are normally initiated in March or April, after the Makaravilakku season, rather than during the Mandalam season.

Two companies had quoted less than ₹400 per litre and their samples had reportedly cleared food safety tests. However, they were excluded without a clear reason being recorded, after which the contract was awarded to Milma at ₹510 per litre.

Kumkumraj Diaries, a Tamil Nadu-based company, had submitted the lowest quotation. Milma, which had not submitted a tender application, was subsequently selected after the other bidders were excluded.

The Vigilance inquiry alleges that the Devaswom Board incurred a loss of ₹2.28 lakh by purchasing ghee from Milma at the higher rate instead of accepting the lower quotation from Kumkumraj Diaries.

Murari Babu reportedly justified the decision by stating that Milma could produce a greater quantity of Aravana using less ghee. However, the Devaswom Board's Vigilance wing has found no scientific basis for the claim, according to the FIR.

The investigation is also examining whether there was a conspiracy behind the exclusion of the companies that participated in the tender process. Vigilance officials are looking into why the excluded companies did not raise objections and whether any payments were made to facilitate their exclusion.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is continuing its investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregularities and determine whether there was a wider conspiracy in the procurement process.