Mandya: A day after three priests of a Muzrai Temple at Gottalu village in the taluk were brutally killed by unidentified miscreants who decamped with currency notes in the Temple hundis (Offerings box), Muzrai Minister Kota Sreenivas Poojari visited the temple on Saturday.

Poojari, who visited the popular Arkeshwara Temple at Gottalu in Mandya Taluk where three priests- Ganesh, Prakash and Anand, were bludgeoned to death  in the temple premises on Thursday night, said that henceforth, the hundis (offerings boxes) in all Muzrai Temples in the State will be opened every month as a precautionary measure in the wake of increasing temple robberies across the State.

Pointing out that the miscreants may have targeted Arkeshwara Temple as the hundis were not opened for months, the Minister said that the Department has taken a very serious note of the incident and will order opening of all temple hundis once in a month, thus giving a go by to the earlier practice of opening once in three or six months. He further said that the hundis will be opened in the presence of Muzrai Assistant Commissioner in case of ‘A’ Grade temples and in the presence of Tahsildar in ‘B’ Grade temples.

Stating that miscreants have looted three hundis of Arkeshwara Temple after killing the three priests, who had slept in the temple premises, Poojari said that the Department will take measures for ensuring that such heinous incidents do not take place in the future.

Pointing out that local people have blamed official negligence for the murder of the three priests, Poojari said that Muzrai Department Commissioner has been directed to take appropriate action against those found guilty of negligence.

He further said that the Mandya Police have formed five teams to trace the culprits and expressed hopes that all the miscreants involved in the brutal murder would be arrested soon.

Pointing out that there are 34,000 Muzrai Temples in the State, Poojari said that the Department will talk to the Chief Minister on installation of CCTV cameras at all temples and deployment of security personnel.

Poojari handed over a compensation cheque of Rs. 5 lakh to the family members of each of the three priests killed and also announced that the Government will extend all necessary help to the families of the priests.

Mandya District Minister K.C. Narayanagowda said that the Police have formed five teams to track down the culprits and the Police are hopeful of cracking the case in a couple of days. Thanking his fellow Minister Poojari for giving Rs. 5 lakh cheque to the family members of  each of the deceased priests, Narayanagowda declared that he would take care of the education and career of children of the deceased priests.

Temple EO Aravind Babu to be suspended

Muzrai Commissioner Rohini Sindhoori, who accompanied Minister Poojari, said that Arkeshwara Temple Executive Officer Arvind Babu will be suspended for dereliction of duty. Pointing out that Aravind Babu has been found guilty of not opening the Temple hundis since January and also for not getting the defunct CCTV cameras around the temple repaired, she said that as charges of negligence against Babu are prima facie and found to be true, he will be suspended for dereliction of duty. The suspension order is likely to be issued on Monday, Rohini added.

Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr. M.V. Venkatesh and other officials were present.