Sabarimala Gold Case: ED Raids 21 Locations In Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu; SIT To Visit Temple Today

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into the alleged money laundering linked to the Sabarimala gold smuggling case on Tuesday by conducting coordinated raids at 21 locations across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Searches are underway at the residences of all accused named in the case and at institutions connected to them, across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 

Raids at homes of key accused

ED has begun raids at the homes of key accused, including Unnikrishnan Potti, former Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar, N Vasu, Murari Babu, and gold traders Govardhan and Pankaj Bhandari. Searches are also being carried out at Smart Creations in Chennai and at the residence of Bellary-based gold trader Govardhan.

Raids in Kerala

In Kerala, ED teams have reached the Devaswom Board headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. Raids are being conducted at Murari Babu's residence in Kottayam, Unnikrishnan Potti's house at Pulimath near Kilimanoor, N Vasu's residence at Pettah, and A Padmakumar's house in Aranmula. 

The ED has also begun searches at the residence of Unnikrishnan Potti's sister in Valiyakattakkal, Venganoor, and at the Thiruvananthapuram homes of K P Shankaradas, N Vijayakumar and S Baiju.

According to officials, the ED may move to attach assets in the coming days based on the outcome of the raids. The agency's intelligence wing had initiated a preliminary inquiry soon after the SIT probe began, following inputs suggesting large-scale money laundering linked to the gold smuggling.

In a significant ruling last December, the court cleared the way for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to launch its own independent inquiry. Notably, the court overrode the SIT’s initial resistance, dismissing their objections regarding the sharing of sensitive case files and internal information with the federal agency.

SIT to visit temple today

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is visiting the Sabarimala shrine today to conduct a critical on-site evidence collection. The team, led by senior officers and accompanied by forensic experts, will collect samples of the gold-plated panels in the temple.

As per reports, this visit follows a "disturbing" report from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) which scientifically confirmed that the original high-quality gold cladding from 1998 was systematically replaced with copper and low-quality plating containing nickel and acrylic polymers during a 2019 "renovation."

Sabarimala gold theft case

As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its court-monitored probe into the politically sensitive Sabarimala gold loss case, the total number of arrests has now reached 12.

Among the high-profile figures in custody are Kandararu Rajeevaru, the chief priest (Tantri) of the Lord Ayyappa temple, and A. Padmakumar, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

What is the probe?

The investigation centers on a complex web of official misconduct, administrative failures, and a deliberate criminal conspiracy aimed at siphoning gold from various sacred artifacts within the Lord Ayyappa shrine. 

The case concerns allegations of the misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The theft allegedly occurred in 2019 under the pretext of refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures.

The controversy traces its origins to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who had gifted 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold plating and cladding work at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries revealed discrepancies between the donated gold and the quantity allegedly used. 

Specifically, the SIT is examining the theft of gold from the gold-plated copper panels that adorn the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) statues and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).

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