Noted Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna has filed a complaint with the police, stating that the honorarium of Rs. 1 lakh, awarded to his team of musicians, from Seshadripuram Rama Seva Mandali for his Sri Ramanavami concert on Saturday night, was stolen.
According to Mr. Krishna, he had kept the cash in a cotton bag he was carrying. When many in the audience approached him for autographs and requested that he pose for photographs, Mr. Krishna kept the bag on a chair.
Later, he handed the bag to one of his students and went to chat with the audience. When he returned, he found that the cash was missing. He immediately informed Ramprasad, one of the organisers.
On Sunday, Mr. Krishna went to Seshadripuram police station and filed a complaint.
Mr. Krishna told The Hindu that someone who was watching his movements could have taken the money. “I had the bag with me all the time and left it on the chair behind the screen for just about a minute-and-a-half. That’s when the cash must have been stolen. There were several people at the venue and no one noticed anything,” he said.
The police are now waiting for CCTV footage to identify the thief. “We will carry out a detailed investigation,” a senior police officer said.
Corrections & Clarifications:
The copy had previously stated that Rs. 1 lakh was stolen from Mr. T.M.Krishna. However, the honorarium was for his entire team.
