SABARIMALA: A gold bangle offered by a devotee at Sabarimala was found stolen. A devaswom employee has been arrested for stealing the bangle weighing 10.95 grams. The devaswom vigilance found that Regi Kumar, a thali employee of Vasudevapuram temple who was on hundi duty, had stolen the bangle.

The incident happened on June 16. An official of the devaswom board dropped the gold as offering in the hundi (collection box) but was not accounted for. With this, the Sabarimala executive officer filed a complaint. Following that, the CCTV visuals were examined on Sunday under the leadership of vigilance sub inspector Biju Radhakrishnan. Regi Kumar pushed the bangle that came through the conveyor belt into the garbage and then picked it up.

The vigilance team inspected Regi Kumar's room and found the bangle from under his pillow. A case was registered against him and then handed him over to the Pampa police. He will be produced in Ranni court today.

The sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala opened on June 15 at 5 pm for the monthly pujas for the Malayalam month of Midhunam. Melsanthi K Jayaraman Namboothiri opened the sanctum sanctorum of the temple under the leadership of tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu. Malikappuram melsanthi V Harikrishnan Namboothiri opened the Malikappuram Devi temple and conducted the offerings. The temple will close at 10 pm tomorrow.