Panic in Tiruvannamalai temple as knife-wielding youth goes on rampage

TIRUVANNAMALAI: The premises of the Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar temple in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, which usually reverberates with the sound of chanting of slokas, was overwhelmed by human screams on Wednesday.

A knife-wielding youth, later identified as Pritam, caused a ruckus when he entered the temple and started destroying furniture in the Archakar training school. Temple staff helped by the public overpowered the youth, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Police who rushed to the scene took away the youth and rushed him to the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College hospital.

The incident occurred around noon when Pritam was seen rushing into the temple premises through the Thirumanjana Gopuram entrance. Wearing dark glasses he was seen sitting on a temple official’s chair for some time and scratching his back with a sickle after which he went on a rampage breaking glass panes in the office with the staff running helter-skelter. He was overpowered when he came out of the office.Local sources said the girl who accompanied Pritam was identified as Jennifer from Bengaluru.

They were reportedly on their way to Puducherry from Bengaluru on a bike and were followed by a trio in a car who sprayed some substance on his face at the Kanmadai forest area on the Manalurpet road.

Pritam then pulled out a sickle and created a ruckus and when forest staff tried to overpower him he kept them off and rode directly to the Arunachaleswarar temple. The girl was taken by forest officials and handed over to the Tiruvannamalai town police who registered a case and are investigating.