Prasada tragedy accused now wants books to read!

Mysuru: The junior pontiff of the Salur Math, Mahadevaswamy, and other accused in the  Kichguth Maramma temple tragedy in Chamarajnagar district last month, were produced before the magistrate in Kollegal on Thursday and were remanded to more weeks in judicial custody until January 16.

All four accused, who are presently lodged in the Mysuru Central jail, have shown no signs of remorse, according to the police. As many as 17 people died and dozens of others fell ill  after consuming the poison- laced prasada given to them allegedly as an offshoot of rivalry among the temple's trustees.

Chief superintendent of the prison, P V Anand Reddy, said the accused were lodged separately to prevent their fellow prisoners from harming them and the junior pontiff had been given books to read at his request.

Chamarajnagar superintendent of police,  Dharmendar Kumar Meena, said the accused had not only intended to tarnish the reputation of their rivals in the temple trust by poisoning the prasada, but had also offered it to them. The trustees, had however, refused to have it as they had already eaten prasada after the trust meeting and so were saved, he added.

Also, the agriculture officer, who gave the accused the poison they needed for the prasada, had provided them not one but two 500ml bottles of it. But only one  was  used to carry out the crime, Mr Meena said.