The Enforcement Directorate questioned former Travancore Devaswom Board administrative officer Murari Babu.
The body recorded his statement under the PMLA in connection with the Sabarimala gold “loss” case.
The ED has frozen assets worth Rs 1.3 crore, seized gold, and said the investigation has also uncovered signs of other financial irregularities and “scams” linked to temple affairs.
ED Questions Former TDB Officer In Sabarimala Gold 'Loss' Money-Laundering Probe
The probe alleges that sacred gold-clad artefacts from the Lord Ayyappa shrine were misrepresented as “copper plates” and removed from the temple, with gold later extracted at private facilities.
Summary
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday questioned former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to the alleged Sabarimala gold “loss” in Kerala, officials said.
The agency recorded Babu’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they added.
Babu had earlier been arrested by the Kerala special investigation team (SIT) as part of the probe and was recently granted bail by a court.
The ED has also previously recorded the statement of another former TDB administrative officer, S Sreekumar, in connection with the case.
Searches were carried out by the agency last month as part of the investigation.
In a statement issued on January 21, the ED said it had frozen eight immovable assets worth Rs 1.3 crore belonging to the “prime” accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, and seized a 100-gram gold bar from the premises of an entity named Smart Creations in Chennai during the searches.
The agency registered a PMLA case on January 9, taking cognisance of two FIRs filed by the Kerala Police. The politically sensitive case is also being probed by a state SIT under the supervision of the Kerala High Court.
The investigation relates to a series of alleged irregularities, including official misconduct, administrative lapses and a criminal conspiracy, aimed at misappropriating gold from various artefacts at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
According to the ED, sacred gold-clad temple artefacts — including Dwarapalaka idol components, peedams (pedestals) and sanctum sanctorum door frame panels — were deliberately recorded as mere “copper plates” in official documents and unauthorisedly removed from the temple premises between 2019 and 2025.
The agency said these artefacts were then transported to private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, including Smart Creations and Roddam Jewellers, where gold was extracted through chemical processes under the pretext of repair and replating work.
“The extracted gold and related assets constitute proceeds of crime, which were retained, transferred and concealed by the accused persons,” the ED said.
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The probe has also revealed indications of other financial irregularities and “scams” at the Sabarimala Temple, including alleged misappropriation linked to temple offerings and rituals, the agency claimed.
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