The investigation into the alleged diversion of Milma ghee supplied to Sabarimala has widened to include the Travancore Devaswom Board following allegations of serious irregularities in the handling of ghee stocks. Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan directed the Devaswom Commissioner to submit a detailed report after concerns emerged over the Board's role in the transactions alongside Milma, the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation.
The investigation gathered pace after allegations emerged that inferior-quality ghee had been supplied to the temple instead of the premium Milma product. As part of the expanded probe, the Devaswom Commissioner has been directed to examine the duration and circumstances under which the substandard ghee was distributed.
According to the allegations, premium Milma ghee intended for Sabarimala was replaced with cheaper ghee sourced from Tamil Nadu, while the original stock was allegedly sold separately at ₹720 per litre, resulting in illegal profits exceeding ₹85 lakh. During the Mandalam pilgrimage season between November 2025 and January 2026, more than 35,000 ghee packets were reportedly sold without proper accounting, causing an estimated loss of ₹36.3 lakh. Of the 89,300 packets dispatched for sale, only 75,450 were officially recorded, leaving 13,679 packets unaccounted for, while another 22,565 packets allegedly disappeared from storage facilities.
Preliminary findings have pointed to possible collusion involving members of Milma's governing committee and officials at the Pathanamthitta dairy unit. Employees at Sabarimala sales counters, including priests and special officers, have also been accused of withholding sales proceeds instead of remitting them to the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Dairy Development Minister Bindu Krishna has ordered an independent departmental inquiry headed by the Joint Director, in addition to the vigilance investigation already underway. She alleged that decisions within Milma could not have occurred without the knowledge of its Left-backed governing committee and questioned the handling of the case involving Milma official Shine Joseph.
Joseph reportedly attempted to resign after the allegations surfaced. Although the Milma Managing Director and the government nominee opposed accepting his resignation while the investigation was in progress, the governing committee approved it. Subsequent reports also alleged that Joseph had violated tender procedures by both recommending and approving the same tender, further intensifying the controversy.