Suspected treasure hunters destroyed the gopuram of an old dilapidated temple near Hydersaipet village in Tirumalayapalem mandal on Friday night.
According to sources, the miscreants vandalised the Siva temple situated on the banks of a stream shortly after midnight. Passersby found the gopuram damaged in the morning and alerted the mandal officials concerned about the incident. Sources said that treasure hunters had dug up the old temple located at a relatively secluded spot abutting a local stream on several occasions in the past.