Kerala High Court Lays Down Comprehensive Quarterly Vigilance Reporting Mechanism For Sabarimala & TDB Temples, Stresses Prompt Action

The Court held that prompt reporting of misconduct, malpractices and lapses is essential to prevent mismanagement and corruption in temple administration, to nip it in the bud.

Noting that currently, the Vigilance Wing submits a consolidated six-month status report on lapses and misconduct directly to the TDB, a division bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K. V. Jayakumar, observed, “The Mandala Makaravilakku season in Sabarimala Sree Dharamasastha Temple begins by the middle of November and ends on 15th January every year. If the status report is submitted by the vigilance wing of all temples under the control of TDB including Sabarimala Sree Dharamasastha Temple as single report it would cause much hardships and inconveniences not only to the Board, but also to the Special Commissioner and the Devaswom Bench of this Court”.

“Whenever misconduct or malpractice comes to the notice of the vigilance wing of the TDB, there should be a mechanism to promptly report the matter to the Board. In the absence of such prompt reporting, the Board may not be able to take effective measures to rectify the lapses by initiating proper remedial measures in accordance with law so as to ensure transparency and to avoid corruption and mismanagement in the temples”, the bench further observed.

Senior Advocate G. Biju, S. Rajmohan, SR GP and Senior Advocate Sayujya Radhakrishnan appeared for the respondents.

In the matter, the bench was dealing with a Special Commissioner’s report concerning the periodical status reports of the Chief Vigilance Officer.

Earlier orders had required vigilance reports to be placed before the Board and action taken reports to be filed before the Court. However, concerns were raised that if reports were routed only to the Board, the Special Commissioner might not receive real-time information regarding lapses at Sabarimala, defeating the purpose of judicial oversight.

Taking note of the heavy workload during the Mandala–Makaravilakku season and the need for structured monitoring, the Court issued comprehensive guidelines.

It directed that vigilance reports relating specifically to Sabarimala Temple must be dealt with separately from those of other temples. The Vigilance Wing must now submit quarterly status reports to the President of the TDB within seven days of the end of each quarter, with a copy simultaneously furnished to the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala.

The Court fixed a strict reporting calendar: 7 April, 7 July, 7 October and 7 January, and mandated that the TDB consider each vigilance report within one month and initiate corrective or disciplinary action wherever necessary.

Further, Action Taken Reports must then be sent to the Special Commissioner, who will forward them along with his own report to the Devaswom Bench. The Court also set outer timelines for these reports to reach the Bench each quarter.

Special emphasis was placed on vigilance at Sabarimala during the Mandalam–Makaravilakku season, while directing that oversight focus shift to other major temples when Sabarimala is closed. Importantly, the Court clarified that the Special Commissioner retains the authority to report urgent matters at any time, outside the periodic schedule.

Disposing of the proceedings, the High Court observed that an effective reporting structure is necessary to nip in the bud instances of misconduct and ensure accountability in the administration of religious institutions under the TDB.

Cause Title: Suo Motu v. State of Kerala [Neutral Citation: 2026:KER:6732]

Appearances:

Respondents: G. Biju, Senior Advocate, Travancore Devaswom Board, S. Rajmohan, SR GP Sayujya Radhakrishnan, Senior Advocate

Click here to read/download the Order