New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) The Kochi Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations on Tuesday at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
The raids are connected to the alleged misappropriation of gold and other assets belonging to the Sabarimala Temple.
The searches aimed to trace the proceeds of crime, identify beneficiaries, seize incriminating documents and digital evidence, and ascertain the full scale of the money laundering involved.
The investigation stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Kerala Crime Branch. These FIRs reveal a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy involving officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board, private individuals, intermediaries, and jewellers. The ED registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a favourable court order.
"Preliminary investigation has disclosed that gold-clad sacred artefacts were deliberately misrepresented as 'copper plates' in official records and unlawfully removed from the temple premises between 2019 and 2025. The gold was allegedly extracted through chemical processes at private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, generating proceeds of crime that were then retained, transferred, and concealed," the ED stated.
The agency added that the investigation has also uncovered indications of other financial irregularities and scams at Sabarimala, including misappropriation related to temple offerings and rituals. These are also being examined under the PMLA framework.
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