Overview
- Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan has publicly criticised the Kerala High Court for what he called excessive intervention in temple affairs, saying judges have issued directives on ritual details at Sabarimala.
- Muraleedharan clarified that the government does not seek a confrontation with the judiciary and said the state only wants greater freedom to make administrative decisions.
- On Monday the minister warned that the Special Investigation Team investigating alleged Sabarimala gold theft remains under court supervision and has not filed a chargesheet, which he said has left the government unable to take further steps.
- The SIT registered two FIRs and arrested more than a dozen people including senior Travancore Devaswom Board officials, but the absence of a chargesheet allowed those arrested to secure bail and raised official concerns about evidence being lost or suspects evading accountability.
- Muraleedharan also criticised the Travancore Devaswom Board’s practice of sending internal matters such as the Thazhamon Thanthri succession to the High Court and called the court-led appointment procedure a structural shortcoming that limits executive control.