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- ED raids 21 locations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka over Sabarimala gold misappropriation case
ED searched officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board, private individuals, intermediaries, and jewellers as part of a probe into the alleged multi-crore misappropriation of gold and other assets from the Sabarimala Temple.
An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered on January 9, 2026, following a favourable court order. (file)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday is conducting searches at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka in connection with an alleged multi-crore misappropriation of gold and other assets from the Sabarimala Temple, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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The Kochi Zonal Office of the ED searched officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), private individuals, intermediaries, and jewellers as part of a probe stemming from multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police.
Officials declined to disclose the names of those searched or the amount of gold involved, citing ongoing investigations.
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An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered on January 9, 2026, following a favourable court order.
According to sources, preliminary investigations have uncovered a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy where gold-clad sacred artefacts were deliberately recorded as copper plates in official documents and illicitly removed from the temple between 2019 and 2025.
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“The gold was then allegedly melted using chemical processes at private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, generating proceeds of crime that were layered, transferred, and concealed,” a source said.
The raids aimed to trace these illicit funds, identify beneficiaries, and seize incriminating documents and digital evidence, and map the full scale of money laundering.
The probe also flagged other financial irregularities at Sabarimala, including the misappropriation of temple offerings and ritual proceeds, now under the PMLA scanner.
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