Kochi/New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday launched searches in three states as part of its money laundering investigation into the Sabarimala gold loss case, official sources said.

About 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they added.

The premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in Bengaluru and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar are understood to be covered by the federal probe agency as part of the action.

The ED had recently filed a PMLA case taking cognisance of a Kerala police FIR.

The politically sensitive case is already being investigated by a state Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Kerala High Court.

The probe is related to a series of irregularities, including official misconduct, administrative lapses and a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate the gold from the various artefacts of the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

The investigation by the SIT is related to the loss of gold from the gold-cladded copper plates of the 'Dwarapalaka' (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the 'Sreekovil' (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. PTI NES MPL MPL

Sabarimala gold loss case: ED raids across three states under PMLA targeting alleged money laundering linked to temple gold. Enforcement Directorate conducted searches under the PMLA across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at about 21 locations linked to accused individuals after filing a PMLA case based on a Kerala police FIR, aiming to identify and seize proceeds and instruments of alleged money laundering arising from the reported misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala temple artefacts.