VIJAYAWADA:In a case of brazen indecency, a temple priest chose Hanuman Jayanti on May 13 as the occasion to give expression to his fantasy. The man in question is A Cheruvu Kasi Viswanatha Sastry, purohit of Sri Veeranjaneya Swamy temple at Sitanagaram in Guntur district.
According to delayed reports reaching here, Swastry was totally drunk and danced naked much to the astonishment of devotees at the temple. Following complaints from the devotees, Kanaka Durga temple executive officer Ch Narasinga Rao, who also manages the affairs of Sri Veeranjaneya Swamy temple, ordered an inquiry into the incident. Based on the report submitted to him, Rao placed the priest under suspension on Sunday.
The EO confirmed that the accused was drunk on the night of Hanuman Jayanthi. He got onto the stage and danced stripping off his clothes. Shocked over his behaviour, devotees had not only chided him but also hurled eggs at him. Later, villagers lodged a complaint with the police.
When the incident came to light, an inquiry was ordered in which it was found that the priest had violated the rules and also acted in a way that did not befit his statutre, the EO said.