Ex-Tirupati Board Chief Summoned Over Irregularities In Counting Of Offerings

The probe into alleged irregularities within the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Parakamani, the sacred process of counting devotees' offerings, intensified as the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) issued a formal notice to former TTD Board chairman Bhoomana Karunakar Reddy to appear before the investigative team on Tuesday.

The CID said the questioning is mandatory, as his statement is deemed "crucial" for the fair and complete progress of the inquiry, particularly given his confirmed presence or invitation to a TTD Board meeting related to the Parakamani matter.

The investigation follows a directive issued by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on October 27.

The Parakamani is far more than a simple accounting operation - it is a foundational ritual at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala. The term, which literally means "counting of currency", refers to the highly disciplined, round-the-clock process of sorting, counting, and categorising the immense offerings of cash, foreign currency, gold, and silver deposited by pilgrims in the Srivari Hundi (donation box).

To maintain absolute transparency and integrity, the TTD typically uses vetted volunteers, or sevakars, drawn from banking, government, and public sector backgrounds, operating under 24/7 CCTV surveillance.

Given that the TTD's annual budget runs into thousands of crores of rupees, the integrity of the Parakamani process is critical not just for temple finances but for also preserving the faith of millions of devotees worldwide.

The current probe by the CID is rooted in a major theft case reported in 2023. At that time, an individual associated with the Parakamani operations was caught stealing foreign currency. The subsequent developments, however, transformed the case into a significant political controversy. 

The previous TTD board, under which Karunakar Reddy served as chairman during the YSRCP regime, accepted a controversial "compromise settlement" via a Lok Adalat, where the accused voluntarily donated properties to the TTD in what was framed as an act of atonement.

The High Court-ordered probe is specifically tasked with investigating the circumstances of this settlement and scrutinising the role of TTD officials and board members, effectively looking for evidence of a systemic cover-up or collusion in the handling of the case.

The notice to Karunakar Reddy has significantly raised the political temperature in Andhra Pradesh. The ruling NDA alliance of TDP, BJP and Jana Sena has heavily criticised the settlement, alleging that the former board deliberately shielded the accused and compromised the temple's integrity.

Karunakar Reddy, a prominent leader of the opposition YSRCP, has vehemently refuted these allegations. He has challenged the government to hand the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, arguing that the current CID probe is politically motivated. He maintains that his board was responsible for catching the perpetrator and that the properties accepted were a genuine recovery of stolen assets, a decision that was transparently made through a board resolution.