Sabarimala Gold Theft: ED Raids 20+ Locations Across 3 States

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at over 20 locations in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case.
• Searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the ED registered a case based on a Kerala police FIR.
• Key locations raided include Srirampura Ayyappa Temple and a trustee's residence in Bengaluru, Roddham Jewellery in Ballari, and premises linked to main accused Unnikrishnan Potti.
• The ED also searched the residence of Sabarimala temple's chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru, former TDB President A Padmakumar, and TDB headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The case involves alleged irregularities, official misconduct, and criminal conspiracy to misappropriate gold from Lord Ayyappa shrine artefacts, already under Kerala SIT and High Court supervision.

Why It Matters: ED intensifies probe into Sabarimala gold theft with multi-state raids, targeting key suspects and locations.