Money collected to purchase land for Ernakulam Siva Temple not properly accounted for, says Kerala HC

Kochi: Kerala high court, on perusal of the materials on record, held that substantial amounts of money were collected by the Ernakulam Kshetra Kshema Samithi from devotees and general public for the purchase of 1.25 acres for the Ernakulam Siva Temple, and that the utilisation of these funds has not been properly accounted for.HC directed the Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB) to initiate appropriate proceedings to ensure that the amounts collected in the name of Lord Shiva are duly accounted for, verified and subjected to audit in accordance with law. It further directed that, if any instance of misappropriation, diversion of funds, or breach of trust is disclosed, appropriate complaints shall be lodged without delay. The entire exercise is to be completed within four months, the bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar ordered. HC was considering petitions, including a suo motu case, regarding the conduct of trade fairs at the Ernakulathappan Ground. At an earlier hearing, HC had expressed its displeasure over the circumstances under which the Samithi was made a co-owner of a parcel of land measuring 1.25 acres, acquired from the Kochi Corporation under the scheme ‘Ernakulathappanu Oradi Mannu' (a piece of land for Ernakulathappan). The sale deed was executed in 2013 in favour of the secretaries of CDB and the Samithi. HC had, accordingly, directed the Samithi, which is in possession of a one-half share of the property, to vacate the said portion and declared that the entire property shall remain under the exclusive management and control of CDB. During a subsequent hearing, HC called for records relating to the funds collected from the public for purchasing the property. However, the records specifically called for by HC were not produced by the Samithi. Instead, it contended that certain CDB officials had forcibly broken open its office at night in Jan 2025 and taken away various records, including account statements pertaining to the purchase of the property. The Samithi further submitted that complaints had been lodged with police regarding the incident. HC, however, noted that in a detailed affidavit filed by the Samithi in June 2025, there was no mention whatsoever of any allegation that CDB officials had trespassed into the premises or taken away records. It observed that, had such an incident actually occurred, the Samithi would have promptly approached HC seeking intervention. No such action was taken, and the belated assertion therefore raises serious doubts about its veracity, HC observed.