KOCHI, KERALA, NDIA, December 18, 2020 (Outlook India): In a significant order, the Kerala High Court on Friday held that all movable and immovable properties dedicated to the presiding Deity of the famous Sri Krishna temple in Guruvayur shall vest in the murthi of Lord Guruvayurappan and its managing committee had no power to divert any funds to the government or any other agency. A full bench of the court made the observations on a batch of petitions challenging the decision of the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee (GDMC) in May this year to donate the temple funds to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for flood hit victims in the state. The court overruled a 2019 order of a division bench, holding that its view on Section 27 of the Guruvayur Devaswom Act of 1978 related to the authority of the GDMC to incur “certain expenses” from the Devaswom funds.
The division bench had incorrectly interpreted the word “certain” as it could be taken as a clear indication of the non-exhaustive nature of items wherein the GDMC could have the authority to expend the Devaswom funds, the court said. In a over 100-page order dealing with the role of the committee and aspects related to expenditure to be incurred as per the devaswom act, it said the GDMC was bound to administer, control and manage all the properties belonging to Guruvayur Devaswom and its status was that of a trustee. “All the properties, including movable and immovable properties and money, dedicated to or endowed in the name of Lord Guruvayurappan or any property acquired in any manner by Guruvayur Devaswom shall vest in the murthi of Lord Guruvayurappan, consecrated in the Sree Krishna Temple, Guruvayur,” the court said in its order.