On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Supreme Court made it clear that temple money cannot be used to support financially troubled cooperative banks. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, heard appeals from cooperative banks against a Kerala High Court order directing them to refund deposits to the Thirunelly Temple Devaswom. Chief Justice Surya Kant sharply questioned, "You want to use the temple money to save the bank? What is wrong with directing that the temple money, instead of being in a cooperative bank which is breathing with great difficulty, should go to a healthy nationalised bank which can give maximum interest?" He stressed that temple money belongs to the deity and must be “saved, protected and utilised only for the interests of the temple.” "It cannot become a source of income or survival for a cooperative bank," the Chief Justice added. The appeals were filed by Mananthawady Co-operative Urban Society Ltd and Thirunelly Service Cooperative Bank Ltd. The Kerala High Court had ordered five cooperative banks to close the temple's fixed deposits and refund the full amount within two months after the banks repeatedly refused to release matured deposits. The Supreme Court was not convinced by the banks' claims that the sudden refund order caused difficulties. The bench said, "If you are unable to attract the customers and deposits, that is your problem," urging the banks to build trust among people. The top court refused to hear the pleas further but allowed the banks to seek time extensions from the High Court to comply with the refund order. The case started when the Thirunelly Devaswom moved court after multiple cooperative banks delayed returning the temple’s fixed deposits despite repeated demands. Along with the Thirunelly Service Cooperative Bank Ltd, the directive targeted Susheela Gopalan Smaraka Vanitha Cooperative Society Ltd, Mananthawady Cooperative Rural Society Ltd, Mananthawady Cooperative Urban Society Ltd, and Wayanad Temple Employees Cooperative Society Ltd.