The Kerala High Court on Thursday laid down detailed guidelines to ensure swift and effective reporting of lapses, misconduct and malpractices, if any, in temples managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), with an aim to “nip it in the bud”.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar said a structured mechanism must be in place to ensure that instances of misconduct or malpractice detected by the TDB’s vigilance wing are promptly reported to the Board.

The Bench observed that a delay in such reporting could prevent the Board from taking timely corrective action. “In the absence of such prompt reporting, the Board may not be able to take effective measures to rectify the lapses by initiating proper remedial measures in accordance with law so as to ensure transparency and to avoid corruption and mismanagement in the temples,” it said.

The court directed that henceforth, vigilance-related issues concerning the Lord Ayyappa Temple should be dealt with independently from those relating to other temples under the Board’s control.

It also mandated the submission of periodic status reports to the TDB on a quarterly basis to ensure “a continuous and diligent commitment to transparency, accountability, and operational efficacy”.

The Bench further stated that the vigilance wing must concentrate its monitoring efforts at the Sabarimala shrine during the Mandalam–Makaravilakku season and the first five days of every Malayalam month when the temple remains open.

On days when the Sabarimala shrine is closed, the vigilance wing was instructed to direct its oversight towards other major temples administered by the TDB.

Detailing the reporting procedure, the court said: “Within seven days of the conclusion of each quarter, the Chief Vigilance Security Officer shall submit a comprehensive periodical status report to the President of the TDB, detailing all relevant observations and findings for that quarter. A copy of each such report shall concurrently be furnished to the Special Commissioner of Sabarimala.”

The TDB was directed to examine these vigilance reports within one month of receipt and, if warranted, “initiate corrective or disciplinary action in accordance with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations”.

The Bench further directed: “An action-taken report on the vigilance report shall be submitted to the Special Commissioner, without undue delay. The Special Commissioner shall, in turn, forward the action taken report, along with his own report, to the Devaswom Bench of this court in an expeditious manner.”

The court also fixed deadlines for submission of quarterly reports before it, specifying that they must be filed “no later than the mid-May, mid-August, mid-November, and mid-February”. It clarified that the reporting and review mechanism prescribed would equally apply to all other temples under the TDB.

The Bench also made it clear that the directions would not curtail the authority of the Special Commissioner to report any issue that comes to his knowledge at any time, irrespective of the scheduled reporting cycle.

Additionally, the court directed: “The Chief Vigilance and Security Officer shall promptly inform the Special Commissioner of any significant matter involving vigilance concerns related to the Sabarimala Temple as soon as such information comes to his notice.”

The comprehensive directions were issued in a suo motu proceeding initiated by the High Court concerning the submission of periodic status reports by the Chief Vigilance Officer.