Tirupati, Aug 22 :
In the wake of reports that TTD-run Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple priest A P Venkatramana Deekshithulu, said to be the custodian of the ornaments in the temple, pledged necklace with a local pawn broker to meet his ‘domestic crisis’, the police and vigilance sleuths on Saturday arrested the pawn broker Sagarmal of Kamadhenu and Co in Chinna Bazaar street near the temple..
The Vigilance wing also lodged a complaint with the police against priest and handed him over to the police and cases of cheating filed against him.
The police also recovered seven necklaces weighting 1.6 kg from the pawn broker. However, the vigilance officials said the priest is custodian for 30 necklaces of Kodandarama Swamy temple. The police said they were trying to trace other gold items which the priest got released from the pawn broker by paying Rs 300,000.
During the interrogation, the priest admitted that he pledged 11 necklaces with the local pawn broker.
As the High Court had directed the TTD to submit to the court a complete inventory of properties belonging to the Devasthanams, including jewellery of the main temple of Lord Venkateswara, and all other temples under the control of TTD, the Chairman, D K Adikeshavulu Naidu has convened an emergency meeting with the officials concerned to discuss the issue and to take foolproof measures to protect jewellery in all TTD-run temples.
Talking to TNN on Saturday, he deplored the priest’s act and said stringent action would be taken against all those guilty who involved in the case.
Expressing serious concern over the issue, the Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu demanded a thorough probe into the property of all the temples in the state.