VACB arrests contractor for diverting 11,000 kg of Milma ghee from Sabarimala

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has arrested a Kollam native for allegedly diverting about 11,000 kg of Milma ghee meant for Sabarimala and replacing it with a cheaper product.

The arrested person, S.S. Binu, had been awarded the contract to transport ghee to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple during the previous pilgrimage season. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had contracted Milma to supply ghee for preparing the key offerings at the hill temple.

According to the VACB, the accused made an illicit financial gain of ₹50 lakh, causing a corresponding loss to the TDB. The arrest is the first in the case, which is being investigated following a Kerala High Court directive to probe alleged irregularities in the procurement and quality of ghee supplied to the temple.

The VACB found that the original ghee meant for Sabarimala was diverted to two firms in Tamil Nadu and replaced with a cheaper product that was subsequently supplied to the temple. Investigators also found that Binu allegedly used forged documents, including fake invoices and vehicle registration details, to divert the original consignment to Sri Venkateswara Traders and Leo Traders in Ottanchathiram, Tamil Nadu.

Fake invoices

“The contractor diverted 11,040 kg of ghee procured from the Milma dairy in Pathanamthitta under invoices numbered 200500256295 dated November 5, 2025, 200500291927 dated December 6, 2025, and 200500326780 dated January 5, 2026, without delivering it to Sabarimala. By fabricating invoices and falsely inserting vehicle registration numbers in the documents, the contractor sold the ghee to Sri Venkateswara Traders and Leo Traders in Ottanchathiram, Tamil Nadu,” a VACB report said.

Further investigation is under way.

Meanwhile, Milma has stayed away from the open tender invited for the supply of ghee to Sabarimala this season. The dairy cooperative had won the supply contract last year, but allegations later surfaced that adulterated ghee had reached the temple in its name. This is understood to be the reason for its decision not to participate in the tender this time.

According to sources, three bidders have submitted bids for the supply of ghee, and the tender process is expected to be finalised on Sunday.

Initial stand

Amid the controversy, the TDB had initially maintained that it would not invite tenders for ghee this season and that Appam and Aravana would be prepared using ghee brought by devotees. However, the board’s administrative committee eventually decided to invite tenders after realising that the ghee brought by pilgrims would not be sufficient to meet the temple’s requirements.

More than 1.5 lakh litres of ghee are estimated to be required for various purposes at Sabarimala during the annual pilgrimage season