Tirupati priest arrested for mortgaging jewellery
22 Aug 2009, 1347 Hrs

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Tirupati, Aug 22 The Andhra Police has detained a priest of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthaanam (TTD) Board here on Saturday after he allegedly mortgaged temple jewellery of worth Rs nine lakh.

The TTD officials as well as the police have questioned the priest. According to sources no case has been registered so far against him.

B.V. Ramana Deekshitulu, who is the chief priest at Kodanda Rama Temple of Tirupati, revealed that he pledged a 530-gram diamond necklace from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

Speaking to newsmen, Deekshitulu claimed that he pledged the diamond necklace as he was in deep financial crisis and had three daughters to take care off.

"My financial conditions were not good. That is why I had to do this. Nobody is responsible for this. I had only mortgaged this jewellery," Deekhitalu said.

The Lord Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati is one of the richest and most visited places of worship in the world. (ANI)

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