Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 29: After finding that two employees working in Mandarthi Goddess Durgaparameshwari temple in the district were involved with issuance of fake receipts and siphoning off temple funds, deputy commissioner of the district, Priyanka Mary Francis, issued orders on Tuesday August 28, suspending the two employees and ordering registration of criminal cases against them.

The two employees who have been ordered to be suspended happen to be Ashok Kunder and Rajesh Nayak. The deputy commissioner has directed the department of Hindu religious endowments to file criminal case against them.

Several devotees of the temple had alleged that malpractices were going on in the said temple when issuing receipts for different services. Temple executive officer, Ningaiah, had conducted verification and submitted report of his findings to the deputy commissioner. Based on the report, the deputy commissioner has initiated action against the accused.

It is said that these two employees used to collect money from the devotees visiting the temple and issue them fake receipts which they had got printed separately, instead of the temple's authorized receipts, thus swindling money belonging to the temple. Some devotees found out that serial numbers of a few of the receipts matched with each other, and brought this to the attention of the temple managing committee.

After deputy commissioner, Priyanka Mary Francis, ordered to investigate the irregularity, additional deputy commissioner, Vidyakumari, had instructed temple executive officer, Ningaiah, to hold inquiry and submit report. Ningaiah has taken into possession duplicate receipts and computers involved with this fraud.