Mandya, July 20, 2013: The district police have formed a special team to trace Narasaraja Bhat, the archak of Cheluvanaryana Swamy temple at Melkote, in connection a four-year-old ornament misuse case.

A criminal case was filed against him at Melkote police station recently. Mr. Bhat is facing charges of dereliction of duty, breach of sanctity of temple and misuse of power.

“The accused is absconding and the police have launched a manhunt,” Borase Bhushan Gulabrao, Superintendent of Police, said here on Friday.

The charges of receiving gold ornaments as gifts from devotees, taking gifts to his home and taking away parts of diamond-studded gold ornament (Vajrangi), resulting in its weight loss, levelled against Mr. Bhat, were said to have been proved during an inquiry.

While the Assistant Commissioner’s court in Pandavapura ordered the trust to take disciplinary action against Mr. Bhat, including placing him under suspension, Deputy Commissioner B.N. Krishnaiah too instructed the chief executive officer of the trust to initiate action against the priest.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 20, 2013.