CHENNAI: A day after a video of a miscreant setting fire adjacent to the main gate of the Kapaleeswarar Temple emerged on social media, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) PK Sekarbabu said the department has complained to the police, which in turn, launched a probe in connection with the incident.
The incident took place outside the temple and was captured by CCTV installed around the Mylapore temple.
Based on the video, a complaint was lodged with the police, said the Minister. “Appropriate action would be taken against the miscreant,” he said after laying the foundation stone for a compound wall at the Markasakaya Eshwar temple in Maduravoyal at Rs 73.76 lakh.
On the occasion, the Minister also inaugurated the new facilities, including the office building and Madapalli, at Rs 39.58 crore.
On the theft of ornaments of the deity of the Karumariamman temple in Thiruverkadu, the Minister said the assistant priest stole the ornaments and pledged the same. After conducting an inquiry, the department retrieved the ornaments.
“We have lodged a complaint with the police and asked to take appropriate action against him,” he said.
He further said that the DMK’s Dravidian Model government would take appropriate legal actions against whoever indulges in wrongdoings.
Listing out the achievements of the department under the present dispensation, he said the department conducted consecration in 1,360 temples, besides retrieving 6,180 acres of temple land worth Rs 5,594 crore.