The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in connection with its money laundering investigation into the alleged gold loss at the Sabarimala temple, officials said.
The raids were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and covered premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in Bengaluru, former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar in Kerala, and several jewellers.
The federal probe agency registered the PMLA case on January 9 after taking cognisance of multiple FIRs filed by the Kerala Police.
The matter is also being probed by a state Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Kerala High Court.
According to officials, the case involves alleged irregularities such as official misconduct, administrative lapses and a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate gold from sacred artefacts at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
The allegations include the loss of gold from gold-cladded copper plates used in the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
Preliminary findings suggest that gold-clad artefacts were deliberately recorded as “copper plates” in official documents and illegally removed from the temple premises between 2019 and 2025.
The gold was allegedly extracted using chemical processes at private facilities in Chennai and parts of Karnataka, generating proceeds of crime that were subsequently concealed and transferred.
ED officials said the searches are aimed at tracing illicit funds, identifying beneficiaries, seizing incriminating documents and digital evidence, and determining the full scale of the alleged money laundering.
The investigation has also flagged suspected financial irregularities at Sabarimala, including alleged misappropriation linked to temple offerings and ritual-related expenses, officials added.
(With inputs from PTI)