A shocking vigilance report has exposed massive corruption at one of India’s most revered and richest temples, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The probe, which took over a decade, exposed fraudulent activities and gross mismanagement in the temple administration, causing widespread outrage among devotees and the general public.
Main Charges: Misuse of Resources and Exploitation of Faith
This puts former TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy at the center of the major VIP darshan ticket scam. During his tenure, the TTD chairman allegedly sold close to 100,000 VIP tickets worth around ₹10,000 each through unscrupulous travel agencies, bypassing proper procedures and excluding ordinary devotees. Prominent political figures include Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Roja, who have also been implicated in this controversy.
Procurement Scandals and Financial Mismanagement
The vigilance report highlights shocking irregularities in procurement practices. Temple officials are said to have accepted kickbacks through inflated contracts, sanctioned low-quality supplies, and awarded unwanted engineering projects. Further adding to the list of concerns, some guest houses were demolished when they could have been renovated. The Sri Vani Trust funds were apparently siphoned off for unapproved purposes.
Theft from Donation Boxes: A Shocking Revelation
The most disturbing finding reveals that there was systematic theft from temple donation boxes. The entire episode was a result of Ravi Kumar, who was apprehended for smuggling foreign currency into the country. Further investigations revealed a network of theft, which, it is revealed, was occurring right from the collection of funds in the temples. This leads to serious questioning about the security within the systems.
Government Action and Consequences
The Andhra Pradesh government is likely to order a CID investigation into these allegations. The CID will unearth layers of corruption in the temple administration. It has shaken the religious community, with many demanding greater accountability and tighter oversight in the management of religious institutions.
A Wake-Up Call for Reform
This scandal has not only smeared the TTD’s name but also underscored the dire need for greater transparency in the governance of religious trusts. Devotees across the globe are now demanding reforms so that temple resources are protected and utilized for their proper purposes.