Kochi/New Delhi, 20 Jan

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as part of its money laundering probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case, officials said. 

The raids, carried out by ED’s Kochi zonal office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, targeted premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, former TDB president A Padmakumar, and associated jewellers.

The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report on 9 January, 2026, taking cognisance of multiple Kerala police FIRs that revealed a “deep-rooted criminal conspiracy involving officials, intermediaries and private individuals,” officials said. 

Preliminary investigations indicate that gold-clad sacred artefacts, including plates from Dwarapalaka idols and door frames of the Sreekovil, were misrepresented as copper plates and unlawfully removed between 2019 and 2025. The gold was allegedly extracted chemically at private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka.

The searches aim to trace illicit funds, identify beneficiaries, seize documents and digital evidence, and assess the full extent of money laundering. Officials said the probe also covers financial irregularities at Sabarimala, including misappropriation of temple offerings and ritual funds. The case is already under a Kerala SIT supervised by the High Court.