The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has dramatically escalated its money laundering probe into the alleged siphoning of sacred gold from Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple.
On 20 January 2026, the agency conducted coordinated raids at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, including the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) headquarters.
The investigation follows findings by a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) and scientific analysis by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) which detected “tampering and substitution” in temple artefacts.
Following the searches, the ED froze eight immovable properties worth Rs 1.3 crore belonging to prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti and seized a gold bar from a Chennai firm.
While the Kerala High Court has denied bail to key officials, the state opposition has staged walkouts demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan over the “well-orchestrated criminal conspiracy.”
Scientific Deception
The case, now referred to as “Operation Golden Shadow,” revolves around the alleged systematic stripping of gold from sacred structures between 2019 and 2025.
Background records reveal that sacred gold-clad artefacts, including the Dwarapalaka idols and sanctum sanctorum door panels, were deliberately mislabelled as “copper plates” in official TDB mahazars.
This allowed the accused to transport these items to private facilities like Smart Creations in Chennai and Roddam Jewellers in Karnataka.
Scientific reports from VSSC scientists highlight a stark difference between the original 1998 gold plating and the layers applied during the 2019 “repairs,” confirming that gold was chemically extracted and replaced with inferior materials.
Financial Seizures
Vital statistics from the probe indicate that while approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold was allegedly misappropriated, only a small fraction has been recovered so far. On 21 January 2026, the ED formalised the freezing of assets valued at Rs 1.3 crore and seized a 100-gram gold bar from Chennai.
Official statements from the Kerala High Court on 21 January emphasised that the accused “jointly looted” the property they were duty-bound to protect.
In the Kerala Assembly, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan accused the government of pressuring the SIT to delay the investigation, while Devaswom Minister Vasavan questioned the timing of the ED raids as being politically motivated ahead of the state elections.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The looting of one of India’s most revered shrines is a disturbing example of how greed can penetrate even the most sacred of spaces.
At The Logical Indian, we believe that religious and public trusts must be held to the highest standard of transparency, as they operate on the faith and hard-earned contributions of the common citizen.
The use of chemical processes to strip idols of their sanctity is not just a financial crime; it is an act of deep disrespect toward the community.
We advocate for a non-partisan, time-bound investigation that brings every beneficiary to justice, ensuring that such a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” can never again exploit our cultural and spiritual heritage.
