District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) G. Sparjan Kumar has ordered an inquiry into the detention of a temple priest by the Poonthura police, while performing puja, in connection with a theft case.
Arun Potti, the priest of the Muthumari Amman Temple in Kuriathy, was taken into custody after being allegedly handcuffed, while the rituals were underway around 5.30 p.m. on Friday. He was detained after being accused of stealing an idol from the Sree Uchmadan Devi Temple in Poonthura, where he used to work as the priest until around one-and-a-half months ago.
The police had purportedly ignored pleas to put off the detention until the end of the pujas. The police, however, later let him off around 8 p.m. in the wake of mounting protests.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fort, has been entrusted with the inquiry in the incident.
