The Travancore Devaswom Board told the Supreme Court of India that religion consists of beliefs and practices followed by a community sharing a broadly common identity and said the court should not determine validity of those religious beliefs.
The Kerala High Court directed the Travancore Devaswom Board’s auditor to suggest measures to correct financial discrepancies found in the accounts of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam event.
The Court noted missing documents, unexplained budget changes, and concerns over financial discipline in the Board’s spending.
The Kerala High Court, while hearing bail pleas in the Sabarimala gold theft case, suggested that the State enact a special law with penal provisions to protect Devaswom and temple properties. The Court said existing manuals only lead to disciplinary action and are not enough to curb repeated misappropriation of temple assets.
