CHENNAI: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) PK Sekarbabu said on Sunday that the department has initiated the process to return an iPhone that a devotee had accidentally dropped inside the ‘hundi’ at the Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple in Thiruporur a few months ago.
"We will return the phone to its rightful owner. The process has already started," the minister told reporters. However, department officials have stated they have yet to receive official communication to return the phone to the devotee, Dinesh of Vinayagapuram. In fact, the executive officer of the temple, Kumaravel, has sought the approval of the Commissioner to return the device to the devotee.
Until now, the temple authorities had refused to return the iPhone, citing tradition, which dictates that anything found in the ‘hundi’ belongs to the presiding deity of the temple. It would, therefore, be retained.
Dinesh, along with his family, visited the temple six months ago to offer prayers, when he accidentally dropped the phone, which was kept in his shirt’s pocket. When he approached the temple authorities requesting the phone's retrieval, he was asked to return on December 19 when the ‘hundi’ would be opened for counting. The phone was found but the officials refused to return it.
After the matter came to his attention, the minister assured that the department will explore all possibilities and take necessary action. Following consultations with the officials, the minister assured that the devotee will soon receive his phone.