Actor Dileep
The Kerala High Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over the “VIP darshan” granted to actor Dileep at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala on December 5, stating it caused significant disruption for other devotees.
The court highlighted that the arrangement led to the “virtual blocking” of pilgrims’ access to the deity for several minutes.
A bench comprising Justices Anil K. Narendra and Muralee Krishna S observed, “It is not a question of two minutes. The first two rows in front of the Sopanam were choked for several minutes to facilitate the actor’s darshan.” The bench questioned the rationale behind such privileges, asking, “What is the privilege such persons are having?”
The court reviewed CCTV footage of the incident, which was also presented in open court. The footage revealed that movement in the first row of the Sopanam was obstructed at 10:51 pm by Devaswom guards, allowing Dileep to enter the area at 10:58 pm and remain there until 11:05:45 pm.
“It is evident from the video that movement of pilgrims in the first row from the northern side was blocked by another Devaswom guard,” the court noted.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), responsible for managing the shrine, informed the court that it had issued show-cause notices to the guards involved in regulating pilgrim movement. However, the bench stressed the need for stricter measures to prevent similar incidents.
The court directed the TDB and the Chief Police Coordinator to ensure that privileges allowing extended presence in front of the Sopanam do not disrupt pilgrim access in the future.
“The further course of action will be decided after reports are filed by the Chief Police Coordinator and the TDB secretary,” the bench stated, listing the matter for further hearing on Friday.
The court had previously criticized the TDB and police for their role in granting “VIP darshan” to Dileep, noting it hindered the darshan experience for many devotees who had waited in long queues during the peak pilgrimage season. It had ordered the submission of CCTV footage and took up the matter suo motu based on news reports.
The bench emphasized that Dileep’s extended presence in the first row during the Harivarasanam (lullaby to Lord Ayyappa) till the temple’s closing disrupted the orderly conduct of darshan.
The incident occurred during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which sees a heavy influx of devotees from Kerala and neighboring states. The court’s intervention underscores the importance of ensuring equal access to darshan for all pilgrims, regardless of their status.
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Passenger facilities have been upgraded, and multilingual announcements are being made to assist pilgrims.