Operation Golden Shadow: ED raids over Sabarimala gold theft across Kerala, TN and K’taka | WATCH
Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday is carrying out coordinated raids at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
Searches are underway at the residences of key accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, former Travancore Devaswom Board officials A Padmakumar, Murari Babu and N Vasu, and gold trader Govardhan. The agency has also searched Smart Creations, the company that carried out the gold plating, in Chennai, Govardhan’s jewellery premises in Ballari and the Travancore Devaswom Board headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. In Kerala, operations have been reported in Kottayam, Kilimanoor, Pettah, Aranmula, Valiyakattakkal and nearby areas.
The action is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with the ED probing financial transactions linked to the alleged theft. An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) has been registered, naming all accused listed in the SIT investigation, including Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, though no searches have yet been carried out at his residence.
Unnikrishnan Potti was taken into custody by the SIT in October last year. Officials said the ED may move to attach assets depending on the outcome of the searches. The agency had launched a preliminary inquiry after intelligence inputs indicated possible large-scale money laundering.
Earlier, the Kollam Vigilance Court handed over FIRs and other documents to the ED despite objections from the state government. Former minister and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran may also come under the agency’s scrutiny.
The case relates to the alleged misappropriation of about 4.54 kg of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil door frames and Dwarapalaka idols, during refinishing and re-plating work in 2019. The controversy traces back to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya of 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper for temple plating, with later inspections and court-monitored probes flagging discrepancies.
The ED said the investigation, codenamed Operation Golden Shadow, also covers suspected irregularities in donations, offerings, rituals, sponsorships and the utilisation of funds by the Devaswom Board. Officials said the probe will examine financial flows spanning several years and could widen to include former board members and other prominent figures.