Plea In Kerala High Court Claims Travancore Devaswom Board Funded Global Ayyappa Sangamam, Seeks Action Against Commissioner

A petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court claiming that the Global Ayyappa Sangamam was funded by the Travancore Devaswom Board, in contravention of its affidavit claiming that event would be primarily through voluntary contributions.

For context, TDB had filed the affidavit in response to a batch of petitions alleging that the event was a political and commercial one, veiled as one related to devotion, tourism and secular promotion. As per TDB, the event was funded primarily through sponsorships and voluntary contributions.

The Supreme Court had also thereafter, refused to interfere in the matter.

The present petition has been filed by one SJR Kumar claims that contrary to TDB's submission, expenses were disbursed directly from Devaswom funds. He has annexed a document, purportedly an order issued by the Devaswom Commissioner, sanctioning an advance payment of ₹3 crore from the TDB account, for infrastructural arrangements.

The petitioner has stated that the deponent who swore the counter affidavit on behalf of the TDB as well as the Devaswom Commissioner are liable to be prosecuted for filing false affidavit.

He thus asked that the Court may invoke Section 340 of the Cr.P.C./Section 379 of BNSS, the procedure for prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants, for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence.

Case No: WP(C) No. 33325/2025

Case Title: SJR Kumar v. State of Kerala and Ors.