Tiruvannamalai Town police arrested a 35-year-old ticket booking agent on Tuesday near the Arunachaleswarar temple for cheating devotees by promising special worship access for extra payment.
The arrested man, identified as M. Selvan, a resident of Tiruvannamalai town, worked at a ticket booking centre. Police said he was taken into custody after an investigation into complaints from temple authorities. On May 29, Selvan approached five devotees from Andhra Pradesh and offered them special darshan without queuing in exchange for additional money. He accepted ₹5,000 from them but provided only an ordinary ticket priced at ₹50. The devotees realised the deception and attempted to apprehend him inside the temple premises, but he fled. Police registered a case, reviewed CCTV footage, and located Selvan at a hideout in the town before lodging him in the sub-jail. An investigation continues.