TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to lodge a complaint with police seeking criminal proceedings against those managing laddoo counters on the hill shrine in connection with misappropriation of 26,000 laddoos during Navaratri Brahmotsavams.
The TTD officials admitted that the laddoo scam had taken place on Garuda Seva and the subsequent day and the Vigilance Department is probing it. On Garuda Seva day, the TTD authorities decided to distribute laddoos at the counters manually in view of heavy pilgrim rush.
Taking advantage of it, contract employees recruited to man the laddoo counters had misappropriated laddoos and sold them in the black market at a higher price. “We have identified 17 main people behind the scam and a police complaint against them will be lodged. The 17 accused will be terminated from service,” said TTD JEO KS Srinivasa Raju.
According to the JEO, some of those manning the laddoo counters conspired and resorted to duplication and double entry to mislead the system. Though the scam came to light after the festival, as it involved a large number of counter boys (108), the Vigilance Department has investigated the matter thoroughly to zero in on 17 main accused, he said.
The JEO also found fault with some bank officials, who were entrusted with the task of maintaining laddoo counters. A probe is in progress to find out if any bank officials were involved in the laddoo scam, he said.