Sabarimala case: ED begins questioning as SIT gears up to file charge sheet
Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday began its first round of questioning in the Sabarimala gold robbery case, with former Travancore Devaswom Board administrative officer Murari Babu appearing before the agency’s Kochi office.
The ED’s move comes at a crucial juncture, just as the High Court–appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) is preparing to file its charge sheet in the case.
Murari Babu was summoned for questioning in connection with the Dwarapalaka and Kattilappally cases linked to the alleged gold robbery at the Sabarimala temple.
He is the first person to be questioned by the ED since it formally entered the probe, even as the SIT continues its investigation into the predicate offences.
Murari Babu had earlier secured statutory bail after the SIT failed to file charge sheets within the prescribed time in the two cases registered against him.
He thus became the first accused in the Sabarimala gold robbery case to walk free on default bail.
He was arrested on October 23 last year and is the second accused in the Dwarapalaka case and the sixth accused in the Kattilappally case.
The ED sources said the agency has stepped in at a stage when the SIT probe is nearing completion.
According to officials, a list of individuals has been prepared for questioning, and it is learnt that this list includes persons who do not figure among the SIT’s accused.
This development is expected to be keenly watched, as it could widen the scope of the investigation beyond those already named by the SIT.
The ED formally registered its case on January 9, invoking provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to examine whether the alleged robbery involved laundering of proceeds of crime.
The probe gathered momentum on January 20, when the agency conducted coordinated searches at 21 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The raids targeted premises linked to suspects, intermediaries and business interests believed to have connections with the alleged gold diversion.
With parallel probes now underway, the ED’s entry is seen as adding a new dimension to a case that has already triggered political and administrative ripples in Kerala, particularly given the involvement of senior temple administration officials.
Also keenly watched is the High Court, which is to deliver its verdict on a CBI probe sought into the heist in a petition filed by State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.