Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday criticised the Malabar Devaswom Board for collecting money from the public for the inauguration of a dialysis unit belonging to Kadampuzha Devaswom

The court asked the Malabar Dewaswom Board if they thought that it could collect money like a cooperative society and treat it like a political issue.

The Malabar Devaswom Commissioner on May 2 issued a controversial order that the temples under Malabar Devaswom could spend Rs 15,000 for ads in a supplement paper published by Kadampuzha Devaswom.

The HC also expressed the concern that the matter would have gone unnoticed if a petition was not filed. The court added that strict action would be taken against the commissioner.