Sabarimala case: ED raids 21 locations across 3 states over alleged misappropriation of temple gold

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Kochi Zonal Office carried out search operations at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on Tuesday under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a money laundering probe into alleged misappropriation of gold and other temple assets relating to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

ED's PMLA probe stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Kerala Crime Branch which reveal an alleged deep-rooted criminal conspiracy involving officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board, private individuals, intermediaries and jewellers.

ED's search operations covered the headquarters of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in Thiruvananthapuram and the residence of former TDB president and Community Party of India (Marxist) leader A Padmakumar at Aranmula in Alappuzha. ED officials also carried out searches in the house of the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, at Pulimathu, Thiruvananthapuram; former TDB Commissioner and later president, N Vasu, at Pettah, Thiruvananthapuram; and the residence of former TDB executive officer Murari Babu at Perunna, Kottayam. ED officials also simultaneously carried out search operations at the residence and office of Pankaj Bhandari, owner of Smart Creations, a metal works unit, at Ambattur in Chennai, and the private premises of Govardhan, a jeweller accused in the case, at Bellary in Karnataka.


ED's search operation comes in the wake of the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Kollam, authorising the agency in early December to open an investigation against the suspects under various provisions of PMLA. ED had subsequently registered an ECIR (equivalent to an FIR) on January 9. ED, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said its preliminary probe has disclosed that gold-clad sacred artefacts were deliberately misrepresented as "copper plates" in official records and unlawfully removed from the temple premises during 2019-2025.

"The gold was allegedly extracted through chemical processes at private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, generating proceeds of crime which were retained, transferred and concealed," the agency said.

It added that the searches were conducted to trace the proceeds of the crime, identify beneficiaries, seize incriminating documents and digital evidence and ascertain the full extent of money laundering involved. "The investigation has also revealed indications of other financial irregularities and scams at Sabarimala, including misappropriation related to temple offerings and rituals, which are also being examined under the PMLA framework," the agency said.

The fraud came to light in 2025 after an internal vigilance (by the state government) inquiry found that the gold content in the panels had diminished significantly when they were returned to the temple after "refurbishment" at Smart Creations, owned by Bhandari.