Visakhapatnam: Gold ornaments have reportedly gone missing from the family temple of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu in Narsipatnam. During an inspection by the endowment department, officials discovered that a gold necklace belonging to the deity Maridi Mahalakshmi had been replaced with an artificial one.
The incident came to light following a review of the temple's assets. On March 19, Trustee Chintakayala Sanyasipatrudu handed over the original 390-gram gold necklace in the presence of endowment department officers. However, allegations soon surfaced suggesting that a fraudulent handover had taken place, prompting the department to order criminal action against the executive officer (EO).
Recently, the endowment department arranged to transfer the management of the temple to the family of Speaker Ayyannapatrudu. During the process of reviewing the temple's jewellery, concerns were raised about the potential use of counterfeit or gilt jewellery.
In response, the endowment department filed a complaint with the police, who have now initiated an investigation into the case. The authorities are currently probing the circumstances surrounding the replacement of the gold necklace and the possible involvement of temple officials in the incident.
