Chanda chori in Kerala: Devaswom Board officer booked for siphoning ₹12.5 lakh from five temples in Kannur
The VACB registered a case against suspended official P T Rasith Kumar for allegedly siphoning off twelve lakh rupees in temple funds, with further investigations sought into financial irregularities at two additional shrines.
The VACB registered a case against suspended official P T Rasith Kumar for allegedly siphoning off twelve lakh rupees in temple funds, with further investigations sought into financial irregularities at two additional shrines.
The VACB registered a case against suspended official P T Rasith Kumar for allegedly siphoning off twelve lakh rupees in temple funds, with further investigations sought into financial irregularities at two additional shrines.
Kannur: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has registered a case against a former executive officer of the Malabar Devaswom Board for allegedly siphoning off ₹12.52 lakh from the funds of five temples in Kannur district, with investigators finding that none of the money was used for temple purposes.
P T Rasith Kumar allegedly withdrew the money while serving as executive officer at the temples. Vigilance DySP Babu Peringeth, who is leading the investigation, said the alleged misappropriation included funds sanctioned by the Board for temple renovation.
The VACB has also detected financial irregularities at two other temples under the Board where Rasith Kumar had served as the officer in charge. It has sought permission to register separate cases in connection with the alleged irregularities at these temples, Peringeth said.
The case involving the five temples was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following the Vigilance Director's approval, the DySP said.
The alleged withdrawals comprised ₹2.51 lakh from Kodeswaram Shiva Temple at Keezhattoor in Taliparamba, ₹2.01 lakh from Palakkulangara Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, ₹2.76 lakh from Arimbra Subramanya Swamy Temple, ₹2.80 lakh from Mazhoor Dharmikulangara Balabhadra Swamy Temple and ₹2.43 lakh from Pariyaram Subramanya Swamy Temple.
The Malabar Devaswom Board Commissioner had suspended Rasith Kumar following the allegations.
A special squad led by Vigilance Inspector Binu Mohan will investigate the case, Peringeth said.
The two other temples where the Vigilance team found alleged irregularities are Pillayar Kovil Temple and Draupathiamman Kovil Temple. Investigators examined their accounts from 2018 to 2023.
The alleged irregularities include the diversion of government grants for purposes other than those for which they were sanctioned. Investigators also found discrepancies over donations and other receipts that were allegedly not recorded as temple income.
The investment of temple fixed deposits in a cooperative society in Angadikadavu, a distant location, has also raised questions, Peringeth said.