A 32-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for stealing money from one of the hundis at the Arunchalaeswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai.
Police said that M. Sundrapandian, a native of Madurai, was loitering inside the temple premises, especially near the hundi on Thursday, when the temple witnessed huge rush of devotees on the occasion of Pournami. As a routine practice, the temple authorities checked the area in the evening. They found a few sticks and chewing gums pasted in the hundi near the Amman deity.
Based on the CCTV footage, they found Sundrapandian pasting them in the hundi. Temple authorities, led by Joint Commissioner (HR&CE) S. Ashok Kumar, filed a complaint with the Tiruvannamalai Town Police. Two days later, on Saturday, the police found him from a house near Nithyananda ashram in the temple town. Police said that the accused has two theft cases in the police record. A case has been filed by the Town police.
The entire temple comes under CCTV surveillance with 96 cameras and a control room. Besides, at least 11 security guards are on the rounds in two shifts on the premises. During weekdays, the temple gets at least 30,000 visitors, mainly from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. However, during weekends and on auspicious occasions, nearly one lakh devotees visit the temple. Officials said that this was the first time after many years such a theft has happened in the temple. “We are increasing our surveillance with more physical patrolling and checking,” Mr. Ashok Kumar told The Hindu.
