Pics: Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network- Kundapur (RJP)
Kundapur, Feb 24: Police on Tuesday discovered more details on ornaments kept in the lockers of the famous Kollur Sri Mookambika temple. Some hitherto unknown facts have been disclosed after the police took arrested Shivaram Madiwala to the temple and opened the lockers with the keys he had.
Police had arrested Shivaram Madiwala on Monday, February 22.
It has been now revealed that Shivaram Madiwala had pledged ornaments worth more than Rs 30 lac in various financial institutions and cooperative banks to avail loan.
In addition to the confession by Madiwala, police also obtained details from the places where ornaments were pledged.
Temple executive manager T R Uma, assistant manager Krishnamurthy, priests Dr K N Narasimha Adiga, Manjunatha Adiga, Ramakrishna Adiga, sub inspector Shekara and former executive manager L S Maruti went to the temple and opened the lockers in the presence of the temple staff.
From July 2012, 48 different types of ornaments were kept in the locker out of which only 11 are remaining. Other ornaments were pledged with the financial institutions and cooperative banks. Madiwala kept on taking out the ornaments from lockers to pay the interest on the loans availed.
Interestingly, Madiwala has taken only golden ornaments and has not touched silver ornaments. Some ornaments donated by prominent people remain untouched.
Police also took possession of the gold which was kept hidden in unauthorised place within the temple premises.
Madiwala who got slight opportunity to talk to media said “There are many people involved in the scam. I thought they would protect me in case I am caught. But theft from temple is wrong. There is no forgiveness for that. But I reveal the names of people, who wanted me to steal, at appropriate time.”
The temple had collected 450.400 grams of gold from June 22 to December 31 in 2012, 1334.800 grams of gold from January 25 to December 15 in 2013, and 670.440 grams from January 5 to December 19 in 2014. In Jan 2015, it collected 98 grams of gold. From May 14 to October 15 in 2015, it collected 192.550 grams of gold.
After T R Uma joined as manager, from November 10 in 2015 to February 10 in 2016, 323.200 grams of gold was collected. From 2012 to 2016, 48 numbers of ornaments of 3069.390 grams were received by the temple as donation.
Kollur Sri Mookambika temple ranks second in the state in terms of income. Department of religious endowment and district administration have failed completely who were supposed to monitor the activities in the temple. It is not yet known why an ordinary worker like Madiwala was given so much of responsibility and authority.