Tirupati urban police unravel the mystery behind the installation of private idols at the Srikalahasti temple

TIRUPATI: Tirupati urban police wing led by SP Avula Ramesh Reddy claimed to have unravelled the mystery of private idols case installed at Srikalahasti temple on September 6.
Speaking to reporters at the district police office, the SP said that the urban police wing, which analysed all available CCTV footage both inside and outside the Srikalahasti temple, spotted three persons walking into the shrine on September 6 with two idols, including a Siva Lingam and Nandi concealed in bags.
CCTV footage showed the miscreants walking out of the temple with empty bags.
While analysing the CCTV footage, the investigating teams confirmed that the trio travelled towards Tirupati on two wheelers.
After zeroing-in on the number plates, Tirupati urban police wing nabbed the trio identified as P Sulavardhan, P Tirumalaiah and P Muni Sekhar, near Mitta Kandriga petrol bunk in the outskirts of Srikalahasti on Monday evening.
Upon further questioning, the trio confessed that they installed the idols at the Srikalahasti temple on the advise of an astrologer.
"We were having a lot of financial problems. Our astrologer told us that all our problems will be solved if we could install a Siva Lingam and a Nandi idol at the Srikalahasti temple. We procured stone idols in Tirupati and installed them at the Srikalahasti temple on September 6," Pindi Sulavardhan, one of the accused, told the police.
It may be recalled that following an uproar from political and religious groups, Srikalahasti temple administration suspended four temple staff, including the chief priest and the chief security officer.