The Kerala High Court on Friday criticized the police and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for offering Malayalam actor Dileep a “VIP darshan” at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, disrupting the darshan experience for many other devotees.
The incident occurred during the ongoing pilgrimage season, with the court noting that this preferential treatment hindered the access of regular devotees who had waited in line for hours.
A bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna questioned the reasoning behind granting such privilege to Dileep on December 5, directing that the CCTV footage of the incident be submitted to the court by Saturday. The court also sought an explanation from the police regarding how and why the actor received special treatment.
The bench highlighted that Dileep was allowed to stand in the front row near the Sopanam (the temple’s entrance) throughout the Harivarasanam (the lullaby to Lord Ayyappa) until the temple closed for the day. “What privilege is he being given? How does this not obstruct the darshan of other devotees, including children and elderly people, who have waited for hours?” the court asked.
The court expressed concern over how many devotees, after standing in line for hours, were unable to gain access to the shrine due to the special treatment given to Dileep. It also raised the question of whom these devotees could approach to file complaints about this preferential treatment.
The bench stressed that such privileges should only be granted to individuals holding constitutional positions, as per judicial orders, including those from the Supreme Court. “What happened on Thursday is a violation of this principle,” the court remarked.
The bench also warned of potential contempt proceedings and stated that it would consider impleading Dileep as a respondent in the case.
The court took suo motu (on its own) notice of the incident, based on news reports about the actor receiving “special VIP darshan” during the peak of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, when large crowds of devotees are present at the shrine.
Court’s intervention highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the management of Sabarimala and its efforts to maintain fairness in the darshan process, especially during the high-volume pilgrimage season.
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