The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to missing gold from the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, officials said.
Babu&rsquo;s statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He had earlier been arrested by the Kerala Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case and was recently granted bail by a court.
The ED has also examined another former TDB administrative officer, S. Sreekumar, as part of the widening investigation. Searches were conducted last month to gather evidence related to the suspected financial misconduct.
In January, the federal agency said it had frozen eight immovable properties worth about ₹1.3 crore belonging to the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, and seized a 100-gram gold bar from a Chennai-based firm during raids.
The ED registered the case on January 9 after taking cognisance of two FIRs filed by Kerala Police. The matter is considered politically sensitive and is already under investigation by a state SIT supervised by the Kerala High Court.
According to the agency, the probe has uncovered alleged irregularities, including official misconduct, administrative lapses and criminal conspiracy aimed at misappropriating gold from artefacts of the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Investigators claim sacred gold-plated items, such as components of the Dwarapalaka idols, peedams, and sanctum sanctorum door panels, were falsely recorded as &ldquo;copper plates&rdquo; and removed from the temple between 2019 and 2025.
These artefacts were reportedly transported to private facilities in Chennai and Karnataka, where gold was extracted through chemical processes under the pretext of repair and replating.
&ldquo;The extracted gold and related assets constitute proceeds of crime,&rdquo; the agency said, alleging they were retained, transferred and concealed by the accused.
The investigation has also indicated possible financial irregularities involving temple offerings and rituals, suggesting the scope of the case may extend beyond the gold artefacts.
Authorities continue to examine financial trails and administrative decisions as the probe progresses. 
The Sabarimala temple is one of India&rsquo;s most visited pilgrimage sites, attracting millions of devotees annually. The Travancore Devaswom Board manages the shrine and its assets, making any alleged misappropriation of temple wealth highly sensitive both politically and religiously. The ED&rsquo;s involvement signals a shift from administrative scrutiny to a deeper financial crime investigation focused on money laundering and asset diversion.

Money laundering probe widens as ED grills former officer over temple gold case

ED Summons Ex-TDB Officer in Sabarimala Gold Probe

Money laundering probe widens as ED grills former officer over temple gold case

February 3, 2026 | 14:27 IST