Two traders from Tamil Nadu arrested in Sabarimala ghee supply scam

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 13, 2026: Two wholesale ghee traders from Tamil Nadu have been arrested by a special team of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in connection with alleged irregularities in the supply of ghee to the Sabarimala temple during the 2025 pilgrimage season, officials said on Friday.

The arrested have been identified as Venkateswaran and Kumaran, both wholesale ghee traders based in Oddanchatram, Tamil Nadu. They were taken into custody on Thursday evening.

According to the VACB, the duo allegedly purchased ghee diverted by contractor S S Binu, who was awarded a contract by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to transport Milma ghee from the dairy to the Sabarimala shrine.

Instead of delivering the stock to the temple, Binu allegedly diverted it to the two traders in Oddanchatram and sold it to them for approximately Rs 50 lakh. The investigators suspect that the traders were aware that the ghee was being diverted in violation of the contract terms.

The payments for the consignments were allegedly made in cash directly to avoid leaving any transaction records, officials said.

Earlier, the VACB had arrested Binu for allegedly diverting around 11,000 litres of ghee meant for Sabarimala and replacing it with a cheaper product. The alleged irregularities caused an estimated loss of Rs 2.5 crore to the TDB.

The agency had also arrested Jayalal, a TDB employee who was posted as a supervisor at the Sabarimala store during the previous pilgrimage season.

The investigation revealed that the store records showed the entire quantity of ghee had been received at the shrine. However, the substitute product allegedly supplied in place of the diverted ghee was not delivered in full, officials said.

The VACB alleged that Jayalal colluded with Binu by making false entries in the registers to show that the entire consignment had been received at the shrine.

Meanwhile, another TDB employee, who allegedly assisted Binu in the irregularities and served as a supervisor at the Sabarimala store, remains absconding, officials said.