Sabarimala: Six class-four employees of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were suspended for taking away cash offerings made before the sanctum sanctorum of the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The theft was brought to the notice of the temple vigilance wing by a pilgrim on Saturday (Dec 4, 2004) who saw two employees who were on duty at the 'somapanam' stealthily pocketing an envelope containing Rs 1192 thrown into the 'Hundi' (cash box) in front of the sanctum santorum, TDB sources said.

The pilgrim and the vigilance officials later recovered the amount from the room that the two employees shared with four of their colleagues.

Further search of the baggage of the six employees yielded bundles of coins of different denominations totalling Rs 11,000 and other valuable offerings made by pilgrims.

The employees belonging to different temples under the TDB were deputed here for special pilgrimage season duty, TDB sources said.

A case has been registered and investigations were on, TDB sources said.