Kerala High Court Closes Suo Motu Case On Sale Of Chemical Kumkum At Sabarimala

A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar was considering a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner on measures taken to ensure adequate amenities for pilgrims during the peak pilgrimage season.

The increased use of synthetic coloured kumkum powder by pilgrims and devotees during Pettathullal was brought to the attention of the Court while considering the report of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.

Subsequently, the Court ordered an investigation into the distribution network and lab certification of chemical kumkum. Directions were also issued to inspect retail shops which sold chemical kumkum.

The Bench recorded that routine inspections conducted by statutory authorities led to the seizure of synthetic kumkum, and in certain cases, proceedings were initiated against offenders. The Drug Inspector, Kottayam, who was earlier impleaded in the matter, assured that continuous monitoring would be carried out to curb the sale of synthetic kumkum and appropriate legal action will be initiated as and when violations are detected.

The Court was also informed that the seized materials had been forwarded to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II, Kanjirappilly, and that the proceedings would continue in accordance with law.

The Bench observed that since the festival season had concluded, no further directions were required at this stage. However, the Court reminded the Travancore Devaswom Board of its statutory and administrative responsibility to sensitise pilgrims about the use of natural kumkum and to discourage the use of prohibited plastic products during future seasons.

The Court directed that appropriate advisories be issued and given wide publicity through print and digital media platforms ahead of the forthcoming pilgrimage season.

With these observations, the suo motu proceedings were closed.

Case Title: Suo Motu v Union Government and Ors

Case No: SSCR 29/ 2025

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 64

Counsel for Respondent: S Rajmohan (Sr. GP), G Biju (SC- TDB), Chithra Chandrasekharan , Haridas C N, V Premchand, Babu Joseph Kuruvathazha, Archana K S, Noel Ealias, T Naveen (SC - KSPCB), Babu Cherukara, Anzar Basheer, Jayachandran R