A woman devotee lost a gold wristwatch studded with diamonds worth ₹7 lakh while waiting in the darshan queue at Tiruttani Murugan temple on Tuesday. According to police, Rajendra Prasad from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh had come to the temple along with his family for darshan. While waiting in the queue at the hill temple, his daughter-in-law, Swetha (32), noticed that her expensive gold diamond-studded wristwatch had gone missing under mysterious circumstances.
Police Investigation Underway
Based on a complaint lodged by Rajendra Prasad at the Tiruttani police station, police registered a case and began an investigation into the incident. They are also scanning the CCTV footage installed in the premises to identify the culprit. A police outpost is functioning at the hill temple for the convenience and security of devotees, with special sub-inspectors and police personnel deployed on duty.
Security Concerns Raised by Devotees
However, devotees claimed that the police have failed to effectively curb theft incidents and ensure adequate security at the temple premises. They pointed out that two-wheelers parked by devotees are frequently being stolen and that incidents of jewellery and cash theft from devotees standing in darshan queues have also been on the rise. This incident has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of security measures at the temple.
Devotees have urged the authorities to enhance security arrangements, including increasing police patrols and improving CCTV surveillance, to prevent such incidents in the future. The temple administration has assured that necessary steps will be taken to address the concerns.
