HYDERABAD: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy has demanded a judicial-style inquiry into the alleged Parakamani theft case at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, saying the incident has shaken devotees’ faith in one of the world’s most revered shrines.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, he reiterated the need for transparency, accountability, and protection of the temple’s sanctity.
The meeting was attended by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court Justice L Narasimha Reddy, former CBI Joint Director VV Lakshmi Narayana, former AP Chief Secretary LV Subrahmanyam, Chilkur Balaji temple priest Rangarajan, and BJP state president N Ramachander Rao, among others.
Recalling the incident, Subrahmanyam said that in April 2023, a TTD employee, C Ravi Kumar, was caught stealing USD 920 (around `72,000) from Parakamani, the temple’s donation-counting section. “The incident deeply shook devotees’ faith in the temple,” he observed.
Former CBI Joint Director Lakshmi Narayana described the case as a “serious breach of trust.”
BJP state president N Ramachander Rao termed the issue “a pattern of impunity,” saying, “What happens in Tirupati touches the hearts of crores of devotees. Even a small act of theft there is an act of desecration.”
Chilkur Balaji temple priest Rangarajan emphasised the spiritual dimension of the issue, saying, “Every offering belongs to the Lord.”