The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Andhra Pradesh police probing the case of alleged theft of foreign currency from Parakamani (currency counting centre) of Lord Venkateshwara temple on Tirumala in Tirupati district, submitted its report to the state high court on Tuesday, people familiar with the development said.
The CID, which concluded its investigation on Monday, submitted the report to the high court in a sealed cover. At the same time, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB), which conducted a simultaneous probe into the properties amassed by C V Ravi Kumar, the prime accused in the case, also submitted its report.
The high court directed the Registrar (Judicial) to place both reports before it for further hearing, which was posted to Friday. During the hearing, counsel representing Ravi Kumar sought directions to furnish copies of the reports to the defence. However, the judge rejected the request.
The incident happened in April 2023, when former assistant vigilance and security officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Y Satish Kumar, caught C V Ravi Kumar, a head clerk in Pedda Jeeyar Swamy Mutt, red-handed while stealing US$ 900 during the currency counting at Parakamani.
Satish Kumar immediately lodged a formal complaint with the TTD vigilance wing and also the Tirumala police. However, the matter was forced into a settlement in Lok Adalat on September 9, 2023, and Ravi Kumar was let off.
Ravi Kumar reportedly agreed to donate his assets if he was spared from criminal prosecution. Subsequently, the TTD Board adopted a resolution stating that the Devasthanam was receiving some properties as donations from Ravi Kumar.
Earlier this year, Tirupati-based journalist Macharla Srinivasulu filed a writ petition seeking accountability for the abrupt closure of the case. The high court directed the CID to seize records from the Tirumala police station and the TTD offices and produce them before the court. It asked the CID to complete the investigation and submit a comprehensive report by December 2.
Following the directions of the high court, CID chief Ravi Shankar Ayyanar personally took charge of the inquiry, seized the files and produced them before the bench.
During the investigation, Ayyanar questioned 35 individuals, including accused Ravi Kumar, his family members, and suspected benamis, officials who served in TTD, Vigilance, and police departments at the time of both the theft and the Lok Adalat settlement and the staff responsible for processing the Lok Adalat compromise.
The CID chief also grilled former TTD chairpersons Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Y V Subba Reddy, besides then executive officer A V Dharma Reddy to find out how Ravi Kumar, who was caught red-handed, was allowed to settle the criminal case outside regular judicial scrutiny and whether senior officials played a role in suppressing the matter.
The inquiry was temporarily halted when Satish Kumar—the official who lodged the original complaint against Ravi Kumar—was found dead with severe injuries near railway tracks in Anantapur district on November 14. The local police registered a murder case, and the unexplained death cast a shadow over the investigation.
The CID resumed questioning on November 21, eventually completing the probe and preparing the sealed report set to be submitted to the high court.
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