WATCH: Viral video shows donation theft at Bengaluru temple, sparks outrage

In a fresh controversy, a video showing theft of donations at the Gaali Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru’s Byatarayanapura is making rounds on social media, triggering outrage among its devotees. The footage, which shows two individuals counting the temple’s donations, with one discreetly handing a bundle of cash to the other, is distressing devotees online.
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“This is why Government should handover the administrative duties to the temples..Here in GaaLi Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Bengaluru, administration staff is pocketing money while it’s counted.. and after few seconds picked up another bundle and handing it over to another guy.. Shame,” a user wrote, while sharing the video.
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The post has amassed 9,42,500 views and 10,000 likes at the time this article was being written. It also received a horde of responses from internet users.
Watch the video here:
“Priests are also hand in glove..” a social media user replied, with another writing, “It’s shameful that few caretakers of temple in dhotis too are part of the loot. They can’t claim being Brahmins by this very act for not practicing the virtue of asteyatva. They’ve brought disrepute to the entire community. Shame on them. Sack all these people from administration.”
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“Corruption is everywhere. #Free temples,” another replied.
In light of the uproar, the temple’s head priest, Ramachandra, spoke to reporters about the matter and said the incident took place over a year ago. The temple administration acted promptly at that time, he told Bangalore Mirror. As a result, two members of the executive committee were suspended for their roles in the fund misappropriation, and two cooks were also implicated in the scheme and banned from returning to the temple, he said.