2 die as crowd swells at temple in Kanchi

CHENNAI: A 23-year-old college student on Wednesday collapsed in the melee when police stopped him from filming on his phone the sanctum sanctorum of the Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal

temple

and was declared brought dead to hospital.


Nearly three lakh people have visited the temple in the past three days.

Sakthi Akash, his mother and brother had gone to the temple to darshan the idol of Athi Varadar, on display after 40 years. There is no bar on filming the idol of Athi Varadar, but when the youth tried to film the main sanctum, a woman constable stopped him. In the melee he collapsed.

He was treated at the medical unit at the temple and taken to the government hospital in Kancheepuram, where he was declared brought dead. The district superintendent of police Santhosh Hadimani said police personnel on security at the temple were being questioned about the incident. A case of unnatural death has been registered.

In another incident, an autorickshaw driver set himself ablaze after an argument with the police. The driver was prevented from carrying pilgrims from the bus stand to the Varadaraja Perumal temple. Police have imposed traffic restrictions in Kancheepuram in view of the huge rush for darshan. A witness said the autorickshaw driver Kumar, 46, got into an argument with policemen manning traffic barricades when they prevented him driving closer to the temple, saying he had a pass. When they didn’t relent he went to a nearby fuel bunk and returned with a bottle filled with petrol. He then set himself on fire in front of the cops.