Ramana Dikshitulu

Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The head priest of a Tirupati temple has allegedly confessed to stealing a 520gm gold necklace off a Venkateshwara deity and pawning it for Rs 10 lakh.

This is the first time a priest of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has been caught stealing shrine jewellery. Ramana Dikshitulu, 56, apparently stole a few precious stones as well.

He filched the necklace two years ago and gave it to a moneylender because he was in debt, police said. The police are searching his house in Tirumala. The theft surfaced during a stock-taking of temple jewellery.

“The priest has confessed to the theft. He claims he would have got the necklace back in a few months by repaying the debt,” an official said.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam chairman D.K. Adikeshavulu Naidu confirmed that a 70-year-old manihara necklace had been stolen and that the priest had been handed over to the police.

The Venkateshwara shrine owns about 12 tonnes of gold and diamond jewellery, worth Rs 52,000 crore, some dating back to the 12th century.