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Tirumala Temple Theft Mystery: Why a $920 Case Led to a Rs 40 Cr Probe

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has ordered the CID and ACB to take legal action in the Tirumala Parakamani theft case. This follows a petition challenging the closure of the case after a compromise in a Lok Adalat. The case involves a TTD employee accused of stealing $920, who later agreed to donate properties worth Rs 40 crore. The investigation now also includes the mysterious death of the original complainant, adding another layer to this complex temple scandal.

Key Points: Andhra HC Orders CID, ACB Action in Tirumala Parakamani Theft Case

  • Andhra HC directs CID and ACB to probe the Parakamani theft case and its compromise settlement
  • The case involves a TTD employee caught stealing $920 from the temple's counting centre
  • A Lok Adalat compromise involved the accused donating properties worth Rs 40 crore
  • The probe expands to include the mysterious death of the case's complainant, Y. Satish Kumar
3 min read

Tirumala Parakamani theft case: Andhra HC orders legal action

Andhra Pradesh High Court directs CID and ACB to probe the Tirumala Parakamani theft case, involving a Rs 40 crore compromise and a mysterious death.

"The court allowed Directors General of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register the FIRs to take action as per law. - Article"

Amaravati, Dec 10

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed CID and ACB to take legal action in the Parakamani theft case at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, Tirumala.

The court allowed Directors General of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register the FIRs to take action as per law.

Both the CID and ACB have been authorised to probe the compromise in the Lok Adalat and the assets of accused C. V. Ravi Kumar. Both agencies were directed to mutually exchange information during the investigation.

They were also asked to share the information with the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed the Parakamani theft case, had submitted its report to the court on December 2. Additional Director General, CID, Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, who headed the SIT, submitted the report in a sealed cover.

The CID had launched the probe after the High Court issued orders on a petition challenging the closure of the Parakamani theft case in the Lok Adalat.

Ravi Kumar, an employee of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), was caught while stealing $920 from Parakamani (coins and currency notes counting centre) in April 2023.

The theft case registered at the Tirumala police station was transferred to the Lok Adalat, where a compromise settlement formula was reached in September 2023 after Ravi Kumar volunteered to donate seven properties worth Rs 40 crore, all of them located in Tirupati and Chennai, in the name of the TTD.

A petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court alleging that there was no investigation into the theft case as the then-governing board of the TTD had closed the case after a compromise in the Lok Adalat. Petitioner Macherla Sreenivas sought an investigation into the closure of the case.

The SIT, which launched the investigation in October, questioned former TTD Chairpersons B. Karunakar Reddy and Y.V. Subba Reddy, former TTD executive officer Dharma Reddy, and several other TTD and police officials.

In a related development, the High Court on Wednesday directed CID to submit a report of the post-mortem examination of Y. Satish Kumar, the complainant in the theft case.

A former Assistant Vigilance and Security Officer (AVSO) of the TTD and complainant in the theft case, Satish Kumar, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the railway tracks at Komali village near Tadipatri in Anantapur district on November 14. Postmortem revealed that he had been hit on the back of his head with a sharp object.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is so disturbing on so many levels. A theft case gets quietly closed, and now the main complainant is found dead under mysterious circumstances? This reeks of a major cover-up. The CID and ACB must get to the bottom of this. Lord Venkateswara's temple deserves complete transparency. 🙏
K
Karthik V
The fact that the SIT had to question former chairmen and executive officers shows how high this goes. An employee stealing a small amount but then offering properties worth Rs. 40 crore? Something is very wrong here. Hope the ED and IT department can trace the source of these assets.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has visited Tirumala, this is shocking. The Parakamani is where devotees' offerings are counted. If there's corruption at that level, it shakes the faith of millions. The court's order for a joint probe by CID and ACB is a good step. Justice must be served.
A
Aman W
While I support a thorough investigation, we must also be careful not to jump to conclusions. The Lok Adalat system is meant for settlements. Maybe there was a genuine compromise? But the death of the complainant is undeniably suspicious and needs its own separate, rigorous investigation.
M
Meera T
This is why common people lose trust in systems. A small-time employee caught red-handed, and suddenly big names are involved, the case gets closed, and a whistleblower dies. The HC's directive to share info with ED & IT is crucial. Follow the money trail! The TTD board needs a complete overhaul.

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