The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated its first round of questioning in the Sabarimala gold robbery case by summoning former Travancore Devaswom Board administrative officer Murari Babu to its Kochi office. This move coincides with the upcoming charge sheet filing by the High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). Murari Babu faced questioning regarding the Dwarapalaka and Kattilappally cases associated with the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple.
The ED’s interrogation of Murari Babu marks the beginning of its formal involvement in the investigation, while the SIT continues its probe into the underlying offenses. Murari Babu, who had obtained statutory bail due to the SIT’s delay in filing charge sheets, is the first accused in the Sabarimala gold robbery case to be released on default bail. He was taken into custody on October 23 last year and is implicated as the second accused in the Dwarapalaka case and the sixth accused in the Kattilappally case.
As the SIT’s inquiry nears completion, the ED has intervened by compiling a list of individuals for questioning, including those not implicated by the SIT. This development is anticipated to broaden the investigation’s scope beyond the current suspects. The ED officially launched its investigation on January 9 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to probe potential money laundering in the alleged robbery. Subsequently, on January 20, the agency conducted searches at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, targeting premises associated with suspects and business interests linked to the gold diversion.
The ED’s involvement in the case, alongside parallel investigations, introduces a new perspective to a situation that has stirred political and administrative repercussions in Kerala, notably due to the involvement of senior temple officials. The High Court’s forthcoming decision on a CBI probe request filed by State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar regarding the heist is also under close scrutiny.
