Kerala HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of first accused in Sabarimala ghee misappropriation case

The Kerala High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the first accused in a case related to alleged irregularities in the sale of 'Adiya Sishtam Ghee', a sacred offering sold to devotees at the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala. The anticipatory bail application filed by Santosh Kumar of Mooloor, Thiruvananthapuram, who had served as Special Officer at Sabarimala, was dismissed by Justice A Badharudeen. Earlier, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court had directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case and conduct an investigation based on a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner regarding irregularities in the sale of ghee. The VACB registered a case against 33 people, including the petitioner, who had served at the Sabarimala temple during the recently concluded pilgrimage season. According to the Vigilance, irregularities to the tune of Rs 36.24 lakh were detected in the ghee sales. The accused contended that he has 60 per cent visual impairment, had no role in the alleged irregularities, and that his arrest was not necessary in the case. However, the court noted that despite claiming 60 per cent visual impairment, the accused had obtained a licence to ride a motorcycle. The court held that custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary to ascertain the missing amount and its utilisation, and accordingly dismissed the anticipatory bail plea.