Priest steals 7.5 sovereign temple jewellery in Thanjavur; held

TIRUCHY: A priest was arrested for stealing temple jewellery and pledging them, in Thanjavur, on Wednesday.

Lakshmanan (36), serving as priest in the Mariamman temple at Keezha Veedhi in Thanjavur, had kept the temple jewellery at an almirah in the temple.

On Tuesday, the temple committee members visited the temple to verify the jewellery ahead of the consecration. When the committee members asked the priest Lakshmanan to open the almirah, he told them that the keys went missing. So the temple committee continued with the other works.

However, later, the temple committee members wanted to break open the almirah to verify the jewels. When they broke open the almirah, they were shocked to see the jewellery was missing. Soon, the temple committee member Velventhan filed a complaint with the Thirupananthal police station.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and commenced an investigation. The police interrogated the temple priest who gave evasive replies.

Subsequently, the police conducted a further inquiry in which the priest Lakshmanan confessed to the police that he had stolen 7.5 sovereign jewellery and pledged them. Later, the police arrested Lakshmanan and lodged him in the prison.