Tirumala Temple Theft Probe: CID Submits Report to High Court, ACB's Findings Also Unveiled

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The Andhra Pradesh CID has concluded its investigation into the alleged theft of foreign currency from the Parakamani (currency counting centre) of Lord Venkateshwara temple on Tirumala, submitting its report to the state high court on Tuesday. The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) also submitted its report, which focused on the properties amassed by C V Ravi Kumar, the prime accused in the case. The high court directed the Registrar (Judicial) to place both reports before it for further hearing on Friday. However, the defence team representing Ravi Kumar sought to obtain copies of the reports, which was rejected by the judge. The incident occurred in April 2023, when former assistant vigilance and security officer Y Satish Kumar caught Ravi Kumar, a head clerk in Pedda Jeeyar Swamy Mutt, red-handed while stealing US$ 900. The matter was initially settled in Lok Adalat in September 2023, but a writ petition was filed by a journalist seeking accountability, prompting the high court to order a CID investigation. CID chief Ravi Shankar Ayyanar personally led the inquiry, questioning 35 individuals, including Ravi Kumar, his family members, and suspected benamis. The probe also involved grilling former TTD chairpersons and officials to determine how Ravi Kumar was allowed to settle the case outside regular judicial scrutiny. The investigation was briefly halted after Satish Kumar, the official who lodged the original complaint, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in November. The CID resumed questioning and completed the probe, submitting a sealed report to the high court.