Kochi: The Kerala High Court questioned officials for allegedly offering VIP treatment to actor Dileep at Sabarimala Sannidhanam. The court demanded an explanation from the Devaswom Board over the incident and directed it to produce CCTV footage from the Kerala shrine.
Dileep reportedly visited Sabarimala on Thursday night and was allegedly offered VIP treatment by Devaswom Board officials. The actor was not made to wait in the queue and was escorted by police officials, while visuals of the same surfaced in public.
The Special Commissioner for Sabarimala told the court that the presence of the actor caused significant crowding, obstructing other pilgrim’s darshan. The actor's arrival disrupted the crowd management efforts, the official claimed.
But the court issued a strong warning that officials who offer special privileges to celebrities and VIPs violating a court order on crowd management will face contempt proceedings. It said that no individual should be given special treatment at the shrine and asserted that all devotees are equal. The court also reiterated that everyone should have darshan via the virtual queue system.