TIRUMALA: An attendee working for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)-run Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC) was sacked on Wednesday, and some others are reportedly under the scanner, for allegedly browsing pornographic content from the office computers. The matter came to light after the TTD ordered a probe following a recent complaint by a devotee. Sources said a devotee, Krishnamurthy, contacted the SVBC office last month seeking a link to the Sathamanam Bhavathi program telecast on the channel but received a link to a porn site instead.
Through the Sathamanam Bhavathi programs, devotees send photos of their relatives on occasions such as birthdays. These pictures are telecast on the channel and TTD priests offer their blessings. However, when Krishnamurthy asked for the link to upload photos, he was directed to a pornographic website instead. He lodged a complaint with TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy and executive officer KS Jawahar Reddy, who alerted SVBC managing director AV Dharma Reddy. “A report has been submitted to the higher-ups on the other staff who were found browsing porn sites,” an official release said.