The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)
Credit: DH Photo
Hyderabad: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board on Tuesday decided to set aside the September 2023 Lok Adalat Award related to the Parakamani theft case and file a fresh criminal complaint to widen the scope of investigation into alleged misappropriations at the sacred temple.
The Board determined that the original complaint was too limited in scope. If the case were simply restored for trial, the inquiry would remain confined to the initial complaint's contents, restricting the investigation and leaving many critical questions unanswered.
"In view of this, TTD decided to unravel the entire conspiracy behind the hurried Lok Adalat compromise," the Board stated. The new complaint will investigate additional thefts and misappropriations that may have been committed beyond the original case.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on October 27 ordered a CID inquiry into the Tirumala temple Parakamani theft case and issued directions to ensure accountability. The court mandated that an officer not below the rank of Director General be appointed as the Investigating Officer.
The single judge bench of Justice Gannamaneni Ramakrishna Prasad instructed the CID to probe the role of TTD Board members and officials in the alleged compromise of the case through Lok Adalat.
The court specifically questioned the acceptance of properties worth Rs 14.5 crore from C V Ravi Kumar, a TTD employee accused of misappropriating $72,000 in foreign currency donations in April 2023.
The High Court also directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General to assess Ravi Kumar's properties and ordered identification of all assets donated to TTD, along with verification of any transfers made through registration. The case has been adjourned to December 2 for further hearing.
The case dates back to April 2023, when CV Ravi Kumar, a staff member representing the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt and responsible for handling foreign currency, was caught stealing US dollars worth Rs 72,000 from devotee offerings.
According to a report filed by TTD's assistant vigilance and security officer Y Satish Kumar with Tirupati One Town police, Ravi Kumar was caught hiding a wad of currency notes bundled between his buttocks on the evening of April 29, 2023.
Despite CCTV evidence showing Ravi Kumar concealing the currency, the stolen money was recovered, and a charge sheet was filed on April 30, 2023, in the court of Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Tirupati.
However, despite the TTD Vigilance Department filing a complaint with local police, the case was quickly compromised and settled through Lok Adalat proceedings in September 2023.
Subsequently, Ravi Kumar and his wife donated several immovable assets to TTD, including lands and 14 apartments in Tirupati, valued at Rs 14.5 crore.
The swift settlement through Lok Adalat raised suspicions about potential involvement of TTD officials in facilitating the compromise, prompting the High Court's intervention and order for a comprehensive CID investigation.
Meanwhile the case took a darker turn when Y Satish Kumar, the then assistant vigilance and security officer who initially registered the theft case, was found murdered on Thursday on railway tracks. His death is now being probed as a potential connection to the theft case, adding urgency to the investigation.
Offerings to Lord Sri Venkateswara, the presiding deity of Tirumala, carry deep sentimental significance for devotees. The Parakamani of Lord Sri Venkateswara operates in the New Parakamani complex atop Tirumala hill shrine, where the critical activity of counting and segregating various Hundi items takes place.
These items include gold, silver, precious stones, cash, and foreign currency. The process is highly sensitive and supervised by TTD officers, including the superintendent, assistant executive officer (AEO), and deputy EO. As is customary, a representative clerk from Pedda Jeeyangar Swamy Mutt, Tirumala, also supervises this activity.
The TTD Board's decision to pursue a fresh investigation signals its commitment to uncovering the full extent of any misconduct and ensuring accountability at all levels of the temple administration.