Valuables stolen from Mantralayam hundi

KURNOOL: Burglars struck Sri Raghavendra Mutt in Mantralayam in the wee hours of Friday. Jewellery and cash, worth nearly Rs 3 lakh, was stolen from the hundi in Annapurna Dining Hall on the Mutt premises.The burglars broke open locks of the gate on the rear side and entered. They then broke the lock of the hundi and stole valuables even in the presence of 5 armed guards on regular duty.“I have been working for the last two years here but never did such burglaries occur,” Mantralayam CI Jagadeesh Naik maintained. The Mutt staff might have been in the front side, he suspected.Temple staff said that counting of the hundi collection was held just 10 days ago. Else, the loss would have been in a huge amount, they said. There is criticism that thefts were taking place frequently due to the negligence of the Mutt officials and security failure.