Mysuru: A priest of Chowdeshwari temple in Sathi village in KR Nagar is cooling his heels in jail for allegedly cheating eight devotees in Hunsur in June.
Manu, 28, was arrested by Bilikere police at KR Nagar bus stand. Valuables worth Rs 21 lakh have been recovered from him.
Ningappa of Uyigowdanahalli in Hunsur had complained to police that Manu had cheated them of their valuables in the pretext of conducting puja for their wellbeing. He had told cops that Manu had asked eight of them to keep gold valuables in a vault in Ningappa’s house after a pooja and asked them not to open it till Ayudha Pooja, which concluded on October 25.
After the pooja Manu went inside the room on the pretext of changing his dress and made away with the valuables, police said. The incident came to light only after Manu went missing, police said.