A devotee of the Gajavaradaraja Perumal Temple at Washermanpet petitioned DGP K Ramanujam on Friday, seeking action to recover the idols, bells and gopura kalasams of the temple, which, he claimed, had been stolen.
In his petition, the devotee, I M Balaraman, claimed that there were a total of 14 idols in the temple earlier, but now just one idol of the Gajavaradaraja Perumal Utsavar remained. He said that the temple earlier belonged to the Ahobila Mutt, a Vaishanava religious organisation.
Balaraman said that the managing trustee, who claimed ownership of the temple, had kept the temple closed for nearly 55 years and no priest had been deputed.
Balaraman had earlier submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police stating that the temple trustees had embezzled the land belonging to the temple and had sold portions of it to third parties. The value of the land is reportedly worth Rs 40 crore.