COIMBATORE: Two employees of the Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple in Perur have been suspended for allowing a superintendent of police (SP) to worship inside the sanctum sanctorum after temple hours on Sunday. The HR&CE department suspended Velmurugan, a staff member, and Saminathan, a priest, on Wednesday after a video purportedly showing the SP’s late-night visit went viral on social media.
Following the incident, a devotee had staged a sit-in protest in front of the temple along with members of the Hindu Munnani, demanding action against those who permitted the entry.
Sources said the temple staff allowed the officer inside based on instructions from a senior HR&CE official. However, access to the inner precincts of temples after 9 pm is considered a violation of the Agama Vidhi (the temple’s rituals and practices prescribed in the Agama scriptures).
Meanwhile, the HR&CE department has also banned devotees from carrying cellphones inside the temple. The restriction came into effect on Thursday, coinciding with the Adi Amavasai, when thousands of devotees flock to the shrine.
A dedicated counter has been set up to collect mobile phones, and tokens are being issued in exchange. However, officials denied that the ban was linked to the SP incident, stating that the move was already under consideration to prevent devotees from photographing the deities.