Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 (PTI) Prominent Ezhava community leader Vellappally Natesan has warned against the presence of "secret groups" who extort money from wealthy devotees in prominent Devaswom-managed temples in Kerala and said it is time to end the alleged "mismanagement" of Devaswom Boards there.

Natesan, the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), alleged that Devaswom employees and middlemen were part of such dubious gangs.

Though he didn't mention any particular temple or any of the five major Devaswom Boards in the state, the community leader's remarks assumed significance in the wake of the ongoing gold-plating row in Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple involving Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Unnikrishnan Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, had

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