Priest’s Suicide exposes Devaswom’s corrupted Temple Management system

Thiruvananthapuram: Suicide of Sankaran Nampoothiri a small time priest of a small Temple in Kerala, exposes the dirty corrupted mafia culture steadfastly spreading among the Temples controlled by Devaswom Boards.

Sankaran Nampoothiri, Melshanthi of Kammatam Maha Ganapathi Temple, near General Hospital Thiruvananthapuram is the first prey of bureocracy , corruption and Politicization of Temples under the Devaswom Board.

Sankaran Nampoothiri, took the extreme step of Suicide leaving behind his wife Devaki Antharjanam, Son Gokul and daughter Gayatri Devi due to mental torture by the Devaswom officers.Sankaran Nampoothiri invited the wrath of Devaswom officers when he questioned the collection of monthly bribe of Rupees 1500. This bribe is in practice in most Temples under Travancore Devaswom Board.

Sankaran Nampoothiri filed a complaint against mental torture by the iDevaswom officers of Punnapuram Sub Group to Assistant Commissioner. No action were taken , instead a fake complaint was filed against the Melshanthi by the Devaswom officers.As no action was taken against the complaint filed by him , Nampoothiri tried to meet Assistant Commissioner Jayakumar in person but in vain.

When all doors closed in front of him the easiest way he found to prove his innocence and escape from the torture of the devaswom officers was to end his life in a piece of rope.

Corruption within the Devaswom board is not some thing new but unfortunately even the Temple priests who formed trade union of CITU is knowingly or unknowingly aiding the enemies of Hinduism to destroy our holy and divine centres of worship. Political affiliations and trade union culture among the Temple priests are in a way responsible for the plight of such “Sankaran Nampoothiri’s “

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