Police hopeful of early breakthrough in tantri case

Kochi, July 27 (UNI) Police today said they were hopeful of an early breakthrough in the investigations launched into the complaint of the sacked Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa temple tantri Kantararu Mohanararu about being robbed and forcibly photographed with a woman here on Sunday night.

Senior police officials said the probe was progressing and the investigators hoped to nab ''very soon'' the six youths, who allegedly attacked the 'tantri' in an apartment in the Valanjambalam area of the city.

Police have already questioned several people in this connection, including the watchman of the building and the two women in the apartment.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had on Monday removed tantri Mohanararu from his post after reports surfaced about his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.

Police had earlier said that the woman to whose house the priest had gone, had been arrested a few months ago under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act.

They also said the 'tantri' had gone to the apartment on his own and described as ''false'' his first complaint that he was ''abducted'' and taken to the flat, where he was beaten up, robbed of nearly 40 sovereigns of gold and forcibly photographed with a woman.

UNI ARC VV SKU PM2052