OIMBATORE: A 42-year-old man, who dozed off in the temple premises after emptying a ‘hundiyal’ in Coimbatore, was arrested by police on Tuesday.

The accused S Chinnaiyan from Karaikal in Puducherry had broken the hundiyal at a temple in Kovaipudur and stole Rs 8,250 from it.

“As it was raining, Chinnaiyan decided to stay for a while, but eventually slept off in the temple premises itself,” police said. The priest who came to open the temple was shocked to find the doors ajar and the hundiyal broke open. “On seeing the thief asleep, he informed other temple authorities as well as people in the neighbourhood. They woke him up and handed him over to the police,” the police said.

Inquiries revealed that Chinnaiyan is facing several cases of theft in Puducherry. He was produced in court and lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison.