Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: ED Raids 21 Places In Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
Simultaneous raids were launched at 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Published : January 20, 2026 at 9:04 AM IST
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday launched multiple searches in three states as part of its money laundering probe linked to the Sabarimala gold theft case in Kerala, officials said.
Searches are underway at 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said.
The premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in Bengaluru and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar in Kerala, apart from jewellers, were covered by the federal probe agency as part of the action.
While a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the gold smuggling case under the supervision of the Kerala High Court, the ED has also initiated a parallel investigation focusing exclusively on the money trail, after filing a PMLA case on January 9, taking cognisance of a clutch of Kerala police FIRs.
The investigation is related to a series of irregularities, including 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.
ED officials said preliminary investigation shows 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 which were retained, transferred and concealed, as per the officials.
They said the searches are aimed at tracing the alleged illicit funds, identifying beneficiaries, seizing incriminating documents and digital evidence and "ascertain the full extent" of money laundering involved.
As per ED officials, the investigation also revealed financial irregularities and scams at Sabarimala, including misappropriation related to temple offerings and rituals.
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