VACB records statements of sponsors, celebrities in Sabarimala flag mast gold misappropriation probe

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance department, probing the alleged misappropriation of gold and money in connection with the installation of a new temple flag mast at the Sabarimala shrine in 2017, has begun recording statements of sponsors, including film personalities, officials said on Sunday.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) launched a preliminary inquiry last week following a direction from the Kerala High Court based on a report by the Devaswom Vigilance regarding suspected misappropriation linked to the temple flag mast project.

VACB sources said 27 people who had sponsored gold for the flag mast in 2017 have been identified.

Statements of around 10 people, including filmmaker Shaji Kailas, actor-writer Renji Panicker and producer Suresh Kumar, have already been recorded, an official said.

The remaining sponsors, including MP Suresh Gopi and actor Mohanlal, will be questioned after they agree on a convenient time, they added.

The VACB team is collecting details regarding the quantity of gold donated by each sponsor for the flag mast project in 2017, officials said.

VACB is also looking into whether more sponsors donated gold or money from the flag mast in Sabarimala.

On February 9, the Kerala High Court granted the VACB 30 days to complete the inquiry and submit a report.

A report filed before the High Court by the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board stated that in August 2016, it was decided that the installation of the new flag mast would be undertaken entirely at the expense of Phoenix Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad.

An estimate of Rs 3.20 crore submitted by the Devaswom Chief Engineer was approved by the Board on September 23, 2016, the report said.

The report further revealed that 9.161 kilograms of gold were purchased from the Customs Department on March 22, 2017, and 412 grams of gold were contributed by devotees for the project.

“Thus, the total quantity of gold available, including Customs purchase and donations, was 9,573.010 grams, whereas the quantity recorded as utilised for the flag mast was 9,340.200 grams,” the High Court observed.

The court also noted that the absence of individual donor receipts deprived donors of documentary proof of accounting, constituting a serious procedural lapse and a grave violation of Devaswom Rules and financial accountability norms.

The probe is being conducted by a team led by VACB Special Investigation Unit-1 SP C S Hari.

A case would be registered at the direction of the Kerala High Court after completing the preliminary inquiry and filing of the report, officials added.