Kerala High Court Orders Dissolution Of Ashtamangalam Temple Committee, Directs Probe Over Allegations Of Fund Misuse
The decision follows serious allegations of financial mismanagement and procedural irregularities by the committee members.
Justice Anil K. Narendran, Justice Muralee Krishna S., Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ordered the immediate dissolution of the Temple Advisory Committee of the Ashtamangalam Sree Mahavishnu-Sree Bhagavathy Temple, located in Punalur.
The decision follows serious allegations of financial mismanagement and procedural irregularities by the committee members.
A Division Bench of Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S, held, "On completion of the inquiry, the Vigilance Department shall submit the report before the 2nd respondent Devaswom Commissioner, who shall take appropriate action in the matter in accordance with law. Till finalisation of the said proceedings, the administration of the temple shall be done directly by the Devaswom Board by dissolving the present Temple Advisory Committee, expeditiously, at any rate, within a period of one week from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment."
Advocate K.R. Arun Krishnan appeared for the Petitioner and Advocate G. Santhosh Kumar appeared for the Respondents.
Background
A writ petition was filed by a devotee of the temple and a suo motu proceeding initiated by the Court itself both were triggered by a complaint submitted to the Ombudsman for the Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards, highlighting similar concerns regarding the functioning of the temple committee.
The main grievance raised by the petitioners was the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner's decision to extend the term of the committee by six months, which they argued was in blatant violation of the TDB’s established bye-laws. The extension was reportedly granted to enable the committee to oversee the completion of the temple’s flag mast (kodimaram) project. However, the petitioners contended that the committee had already removed the flag mast base in October 2024 without consulting the Tantri (chief priest) or informing the devotees in advance, a move that disregarded ritualistic norms and transparency.
It was further alleged that some committee members who had previously resigned later withdrew their resignations in a manner that violated due process. There were also serious accusations of financial irregularities, particularly regarding the collection of funds. According to the complaints, instead of collecting donations in the name of the temple, funds were allegedly gathered under the name of a co-operative society, raising questions about transparency and accountability. Additionally, devotees claimed that despite accepting money and issuing receipts for specific rituals, temple officials failed to perform the services as promised.
The Court was informed that although a vigilance inquiry had already been initiated into the allegations, the investigation remained incomplete.
The High Court issued several key directives to ensure accountability and transparency. The Assistant Devaswom Commissioner was ordered to forward all relevant complaints to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)’s Vigilance Wing within one week from the date of the judgment. The Vigilance Department of the TDB was instructed to conduct a thorough investigation and submit its findings to the Devaswom Commissioner within a period of three months and take appropriate legal action based on the findings.
Cause Title: Jijendran v. Travancore Devaswom Board & Ors., [2025:KER:57098]
Appearance:
Petitioner: Advocate K.R. Arun Krishnan
Respondents: Advocates G. Santhosh Kumar, H. Vishnudas, K. Sudhinkumar, Senior G.P. S. Rajmohan