Minister Nara Lokesh alleged that during the YSRCP regime, the accused was let off after only a perfunctory questioning under Section 41A of the CrPC.
Published Sep 23, 2025 | 12:02 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 23, 2025 | 12:02 PM
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Synopsis: The Andhra Pradesh government plans a Special Investigation Team to probe the Parakamani scam, following a high court-ordered CID investigation. The case involves alleged misappropriation of Rs 100 crore by Parakamani volunteer CV Ravi Kumar. The court suspended a 2023 Lok Adalat settlement, raising concerns of political vendetta. Tirupati MP demands a CBI probe to restore trust in temple offerings.
The Andhra Pradesh government is considering setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged Parakamani (offering) scam in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The move follows the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s order for a fresh probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
The court suspended a 2023 Lok Adalat settlement and handed over the case to the CID. It also ordered the seizure of all related records and directed submission of a sealed report by 13 October.
Speaking to reporters in the Assembly lobbies on Monday, 22 September, Information Technology and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh said an SIT would soon be formed. “Several people are involved. Their names must come out,” he said.
Lokesh alleged that during the YSRCP regime, the accused was let off after only a perfunctory questioning under Section 41A of the CrPC. He charged that the previous government had sullied the sanctity of the Tirumala temple.
The case involves alleged misappropriation of ₹100 crore. It dates back to 19 April 2023, when Parakamani volunteer CV Ravi Kumar was caught during frisking. He was found concealing foreign currency in his under garments, first estimated at $11,300 (₹9 lakh). But the FIR at Tirumala One Town police station mentioned only $900 (₹72,000).
Investigators later alleged that Kumar had repeatedly stolen over the years. He was accused of amassing properties worth up to ₹100 crore in Tirupati and Chennai.
Weeks after his arrest, Kumar and his wife donated seven properties valued at ₹40 crore to the TTD, claiming it was an act of devotion. A chargesheet was filed in May 2023. However, by 9 September 2023, Kumar and Assistant Vigilance and Security Officer (AVSO) Y Satish Kumar struck a compromise at Tirupati Lok Adalat.
The deal quashed charges against Kumar. Satish Kumar later told TTD Vigilance that he signed the accord under “extreme pressure” from senior police officials.
The episode has since become highly controversial. Meanwhile, Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Justice of India on Monday, seeking a CBI probe and a Judicial Commission headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
Gurumoorthy condemned the TDP government’s allegations of theft as a political vendetta. He argued that the claims lacked evidence and insulted the faith of devotees worldwide.
He warned that weaponising Parakamani for partisan politics would damage harmony and erode public trust in temples. Only an impartial central probe, he said, could restore confidence and prove that offerings are handled with the respect they deserve.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
