Kerala rolls back order reviving controversial Sabarimala project after court concerns
The Kerala government has withdrawn its recent order that sought to restore the controversial Punyam Poonkavanam community policing project at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, following concerns that the move violated a High Court directive.
The government had on July 24 issued an order allowing the project to continue, while also clearing Additional Director General of Police P. Vijayan of all allegations contained in an inquiry report. Vijayan had served as the nodal officer of the project. The report, prepared by former Chief Police Coordinator of Sabarimala and ADGP M.R. Ajithkumar, had flagged several irregularities.
Additional Chief Secretary Minhaj Alam had permitted the project's continuation, describing it as “an exemplary community initiative by the Kerala Police in Sabarimala.”
However, the order did not take into account a directive from the Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court. The court had earlier instructed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the police to inform pilgrims that the project was not part of the official Police Bandobast Scheme from the 2023-24 Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival season onwards. The court also prohibited the use of the project's name for any activity linked to the Sabarimala temple.
On August 2, the state government issued an erratum to its earlier order, removing the portion that granted permission for the project to continue. The deletion effectively rolls back the restoration decision.
Judicial sources said the government order exonerating the police officer was silent on other significant findings in the inquiry report, particularly allegations of illegal fund collection from within the country and abroad. The report also cited financial irregularities and fraud, which sources indicated warranted investigation by a probe agency rather than a government official.
The inquiry report, submitted to the High Court, noted that photographs of High Court judges, senior government officials, film actors and celebrities were used in the project's brochures and notices. These images showed them collecting waste at a point in Sannidhanam. The report said the pictures were used to create an impression of authenticity, helping those associated with the project to find new associates and unofficially raise contributions in cash and kind. It was also reported that cloth bags donated by a jewellery group for free distribution to devotees were allegedly sold through shops.
The report further pointed out that the project's activities were extended to several other states and countries with the help of private individuals. It noted that the Kerala Police department does not have the authority to extend such activities beyond its territorial jurisdiction, and that neither the police nor the state government had issued orders allowing such extensions. The activities were said to be beyond any government orders related to the Sabarimala festival.
Units of Punyam Poonkavanam were reportedly started in various parts of Kerala, as well as in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, New Delhi, and abroad in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Singapore and Malaysia. These operations were outside the scope and authority of the police department, the report said.
The government's decision to retract its order comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny of the project. The High Court had earlier stopped the project, and the fresh directive remains in force. The erratum, while revising the order, does not address the broader allegations of financial irregularities, which judicial sources believe require deeper investigation.
The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala temple, has not yet issued a public response to the government's rollback. The temple is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, and the project was introduced as a cleanliness and waste-management initiative during the festival season. However, its operations came under scrutiny over the methods used to raise funds and the involvement of police personnel.
The state government has not made an official statement explaining the reversal beyond the erratum. The matter is likely to be examined further as the court continues to monitor compliance with its earlier directive.
