Chamarajanagar: The Chamarajanagar police have arrested four persons, including a seer, in connection with the prasadam poisoning including at the Sulwadi Maramma temple in Kollegal taluk of the district.
Speaking to reporters in Chamarajanagar, IGP Southern Range K V Sharath Chandra informed that accused number one, Mahadevaswamy Alias Devanna Buddi (52) allegedly directed Ambika (35) to mix poison in the prasadam. Ambika bought poison and gave it to her husband, the temple manager Madesha alias Mahadeva Swamy (46) to execute the plan. Doddaiah Tambadi (35), a priest from the village mixed the poison in the prasadam which claimed the lives of 15 people. 101 devotees are still in various hospitals.
According to the police, the seer hatched the plan to take control of the temple management. “The annual income of the temple is around Rs.12 lakhs. The temple has over Rs. 32 lakhs cash in various accounts,” informed the police.
“All the four accused were produced before the Kollegal judge on Wednesday night. The judge remanded them to police custody for the next four days,” informed the police.
According to the police, Ambika is a very close relative of the seer. But she had an illicit relationship with the seer.