Tirumala Temple Theft Row: SIT Formed as TDP Targets YSRCP, Jagan’s Party Cries Vendetta
A new controversy has erupted at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara temple, over alleged thefts from the parakamani (donation box), barely a year after the laddu distribution row.
Political Accusations Fly
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), allied with the BJP and JanaSena Party (JSP), has accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of stealing “hundreds of crores” from the shrine. The YSRCP, led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, dismissed the allegations as a “political vendetta” and urged the Centre to hand over the investigation to the CBI for a “fair probe.”
In response, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the alleged scam.
The Case That Sparked the Controversy
The case dates back to April 2023 when Ravi Kumar, a former TTD employee, was accused of stealing nine $100 notes from the parakamani. The issue gained renewed attention on September 20, after Andhra IT minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh shared CCTV footage of the incident. He blamed Jagan and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of the YSRCP for a “Rs 100 crore theft.”
“Corruption reigned supreme during Jagan’s five-year rule… They did not even spare Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala. With the blessings of Karunakar Reddy, thieves infiltrated the parakamani and looted crores worth of property. This money was invested in real estate. Ravi Kumar stole hundreds of crores while Karunakar Reddy was the TTD chairman. His associates even tried to settle this case in a Lok Adalat… The parakamani videos have surfaced today. Tomorrow, the accused themselves are set to reveal the full account of YSRCP’s sins,” Lokesh wrote while sharing the footage.
TTD Responds
TTD member and BJP leader G Bhanu Prakash Reddy stressed that the matter is not political. “It is a case of procedural lapse on the part of the then TTD administration. Who authorised the TTD to settle the case in a Lok Adalat when the offences against Ravi Kumar are not compoundable? Top police officers and the YSRCP leadership have benefited from this theft,” he said.
Offences under IPC Sections 379 and 381, which cover cheating, can only be compounded with court permission.
Questions About a ‘Compromise’
Citing a July 25, 2024, letter from then TTD vigilance officer M Giridhar Rao, Bhanu Prakash Reddy alleged that assistant vigilance officer Y Satish Kumar reached a compromise under “extreme pressure from the police.”
“It is not known as to why the police exerted pressure upon the TTD AVSO. However, Satish Kumar is one of the good officers with sound integrity, is hardworking, sincere and devoted towards TTD work,” the letter read.
On April 29, 2023, Satish Kumar caught Ravi Kumar red-handed stealing from the parakamani, leading to a case under IPC Sections 379 and 381. A chargesheet was filed on May 30, 2023. However, a Lok Adalat disposed of the case in September 2023 after both parties claimed a compromise “keeping the sensitivity of the matter” in mind.
High Court Intervention
On September 10, 2024, M Sreenivasulu filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a CID probe into the parakamani scam. The court last week suspended the Lok Adalat’s order until further notice.
YSRCP Demands CBI Probe
YSRCP Tirupati MP Madilla Gurumoorthy denied the allegations and called for a CBI investigation. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he wrote:
“What is presently unfolding in Andhra Pradesh represents a deliberate attempt to employ religion as an instrument of political vendetta. Such actions not only threaten public order but also weaken the trust of the people in democratic governance… Only an impartial and transparent inquiry by a central agency can establish the truth, put an end to politically motivated falsehoods, and restore the confidence of devotees.”
Political Accusations Fly
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), allied with the BJP and JanaSena Party (JSP), has accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of stealing “hundreds of crores” from the shrine. The YSRCP, led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, dismissed the allegations as a “political vendetta” and urged the Centre to hand over the investigation to the CBI for a “fair probe.”
In response, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the alleged scam.
The Case That Sparked the Controversy
The case dates back to April 2023 when Ravi Kumar, a former TTD employee, was accused of stealing nine $100 notes from the parakamani. The issue gained renewed attention on September 20, after Andhra IT minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh shared CCTV footage of the incident. He blamed Jagan and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of the YSRCP for a “Rs 100 crore theft.”
“Corruption reigned supreme during Jagan’s five-year rule… They did not even spare Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala. With the blessings of Karunakar Reddy, thieves infiltrated the parakamani and looted crores worth of property. This money was invested in real estate. Ravi Kumar stole hundreds of crores while Karunakar Reddy was the TTD chairman. His associates even tried to settle this case in a Lok Adalat… The parakamani videos have surfaced today. Tomorrow, the accused themselves are set to reveal the full account of YSRCP’s sins,” Lokesh wrote while sharing the footage.
TTD Responds
TTD member and BJP leader G Bhanu Prakash Reddy stressed that the matter is not political. “It is a case of procedural lapse on the part of the then TTD administration. Who authorised the TTD to settle the case in a Lok Adalat when the offences against Ravi Kumar are not compoundable? Top police officers and the YSRCP leadership have benefited from this theft,” he said.
Offences under IPC Sections 379 and 381, which cover cheating, can only be compounded with court permission.
Questions About a ‘Compromise’
Citing a July 25, 2024, letter from then TTD vigilance officer M Giridhar Rao, Bhanu Prakash Reddy alleged that assistant vigilance officer Y Satish Kumar reached a compromise under “extreme pressure from the police.”
“It is not known as to why the police exerted pressure upon the TTD AVSO. However, Satish Kumar is one of the good officers with sound integrity, is hardworking, sincere and devoted towards TTD work,” the letter read.
On April 29, 2023, Satish Kumar caught Ravi Kumar red-handed stealing from the parakamani, leading to a case under IPC Sections 379 and 381. A chargesheet was filed on May 30, 2023. However, a Lok Adalat disposed of the case in September 2023 after both parties claimed a compromise “keeping the sensitivity of the matter” in mind.
High Court Intervention
On September 10, 2024, M Sreenivasulu filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a CID probe into the parakamani scam. The court last week suspended the Lok Adalat’s order until further notice.
YSRCP Demands CBI Probe
YSRCP Tirupati MP Madilla Gurumoorthy denied the allegations and called for a CBI investigation. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he wrote:
“What is presently unfolding in Andhra Pradesh represents a deliberate attempt to employ religion as an instrument of political vendetta. Such actions not only threaten public order but also weaken the trust of the people in democratic governance… Only an impartial and transparent inquiry by a central agency can establish the truth, put an end to politically motivated falsehoods, and restore the confidence of devotees.”
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