Police arrested a local seer Wednesday in connection with the poisoning of prasad at a temple in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district that killed 15 people.
Mahadeshwara Hill Saluru Math seer Pattada Immadi Mahadevaswamy was arrested and “he has a role” in the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police of Chamarajnagar district M S Geetha told. However, she declined to divulge any other details.
Police sources said that at least five people, including the seer and a woman, have a direct role in the incident.
Officials have so far quizzed 11 people about the December 15 incident, in which more than 120 people fell ill after consuming prasad distributed at Maramma temple in Sulavadi village of Hanur taluk in Chamarajnagar district.
On the day of the incident, nine people died, while six others lost their lives over the next four days. 27 people are still in a critical state.