Thiruvananthapuram | Senior bureaucrat B Ashok has approached a court seeking to nullify the appointment of retired IAS officer K Jayakumar as president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), alleging a violation of rules.

Ashok IAS filed a petition claiming that the appointment violates provisions of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act.

The respondents named in the petition include Jayakumar, TDB, the Secretary to the Kerala Government, Revenue (Devaswom) Department, the Secretary to the Kerala Government, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, and the Secretary of the Institute of Management in Government (IMG).

In the petition, Ashok alleged that the appointment violates Section 7(3) of the Act, which disqualifies anyone holding a government office, a local authority post, or a position in the Devaswom Board or any other endowment from being a member of the Devaswom Board.

He claimed that Jayakumar continues to hold the post of Director of IMG and hence is not qualified to be appointed as TDB president.

Thiruvananthapuram Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Nazeera S considered the petition on Thursday and issued notice to the respondents. The court will hear the matter again on January 15, 2026.

Responding to the petition, Jayakumar told a news channel that he learned about it through media reports. He said he plans to resign from IMG and is currently not receiving remuneration from the government.

He said the government is searching for his replacement, after which he will step down. Jayakumar was appointed TDB president by the state government following the controversy over the loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple.