Puttur: Former temple chairman surrenders before police, admits to pledging gold offered to deity

A person who misused his position and pledged gold offered to the deity at the Perne’s Kalenja-Dentadka Sri Vishnumurthy Temple with a private gold finance company surrendered himself to the police on Tuesday and admitted to wrongdoing.

The accused identified as Rohitaksha Banabettu happens to be the former chairman of the temple board.

A complaint was lodged with Uppinangady police after a devotee Ramadas Rai, raised concern about the disappearance of ornaments that he had offered to the deity during the Brahmakalashotsava celebrations held last December at the review meeting held by temple administrative authorities on Sunday.

The police began investigating the complaint and on Tuesday Rohitaksha himself voluntarily surrendered before the police and confessed to misusing his position. He even returned the ornaments after making a settlement with the gold finance company.

The police took the accused into custody.