NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths recovered voluminous incriminating documents and digital evidence exposing how gold-clad sacred artefacts—including components of the Dwarapalaka idol, pedestals, and sanctum sanctorum door panels—were systematically stolen between 2019 and 2025 during raids in Sabarimala Temple gold theft case, the agency said on Wednesday.
The federal investigative agency froze eight immovable properties belonging to prime accused, valued at approximately Rs 1.3 crore, under Section 17(1A) of Prevention of Money Laundering Act to prevent the dissipation of proceeds of crime.
“A 100-gram gold bar was also seized from Smart Creations in Chennai, one of the private facilities allegedly involved in the extraction operation,” said agency officials.
The agency had carried out raids Tuesday at 21 premises across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in connection with the misappropriation of gold and other temple assets relating to Sabarimala Temple.
The agency initiated probe on the basis of two FIRs registered by the Kerala Police Crime Branch, which revealed a well-planned criminal conspiracy involving senior officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), former temple administrators, private sponsors and jewellers. Preliminary investigation has revealed that sacred gold-clad artefacts of the temple, including Dwarapalaka idol components, peedams (pedestals) and sanctum sanctorum door frame panels, were deliberately misrepresented in official records as mere “copper plates” and unauthorisedly removed from the temple premises during the period 2019–2025.
“These artefacts were subsequently transported to private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, including Smart Creations and Roddam Jewellers, where gold was extracted through chemical processes under the guise of repair and replating work. The extracted gold and related assets constitute Proceeds of Crime, which were retained, transferred and concealed by the accused persons,” the official said.
The investigation has also brought to light indications of other financial irregularities and scams at Sabarimala Temple, including misappropriation related to temple offerings and rituals, which are also being examined under the PMLA framework. Accordingly, searches were conducted to trace the Proceeds of Crime, identify beneficiaries, recover incriminating records and digital evidence, and ascertain the full extent of money laundering. “All seized materials and evidence are being examined to quantify the exact Proceeds of Crime, establish the money-laundering trail and identify further beneficiaries,” the official added.