Kochi

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Murari Babu, a former administrative officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), in connection with the money laundering probe linked to the alleged loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple, officials said.

According to sources, the central agency is recording his statement under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Babu had earlier been arrested by the Kerala Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case and was subsequently released on bail by a court.

The ED had carried out search operations related to the case last month and formally registered a PMLA case on January 9, based on multiple FIRs lodged by the Kerala Police.

The matter, considered politically sensitive, is already under investigation by a state-level SIT functioning under the supervision of the Kerala High Court.

READ MORE: Shab-e-Barāt: Mercy, memory, and moral reckoning in the Islamic realm

The case pertains to alleged large-scale irregularities involving official misconduct, administrative failures, and a suspected criminal conspiracy to siphon off gold from artefacts associated with the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.