Hyderabad, Feb. 26 -- A former advocate from Peddapalli district, who lost his legal practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been living on the steps of the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada for the past two years along with his wife, who suffers from a chronic illness.

The couple - Jalandhar Reddy and Sireesha - came to the attention of district officials recently when the Rajanna-Sircilla Collector Garima Agarwal directed the District Welfare Officer and Additional Superintendent of Police to counsel alms-seekers at the temple in Vemulawada and help rehabilitate them.

Reddy, a law graduate who was practising as an advocate in Karimnagar, told officials that the pandemic had devastated his livelihood, leaving the family...