ACB raids premises of TTD Deputy EO in charge of Tirumala temple

In Tirupati district, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers conducted simultaneous raids on four properties connected to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Deputy Executive Officer (EO) Mendu Lokanatham on Wednesday. During the searches, they confiscated evidence, including property documents, cash, gold, silver, and other valuables.

Lokanatham, who serves as Deputy EO of the Tirumala temple, had previously held key roles under the former YSRCP government. The ACB's investigations were triggered by information that surfaced during the CBI probe into allegations of ghee adulteration supplied to the temple. This probe uncovered crucial details regarding several TTD employees.

Following up on this, ACB Visakhapatnam registered a case against K. Chinna Appanna, a former personal assistant to the then TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, accusing him of influencing ghee suppliers. The ACB's investigation ultimately led to Lokanatham's residence and those of a relative in Tirupati, his ancestral home in Yerpedu, and his official chambers at Tirumala hills.

The ACB release further revealed that Lokanatham had purchased a house at Pedda Kapu Layout in Tirupati in his spouse's name. Additionally, two house plots, a building, and four fixed deposits in the names of relatives were found during the searches, alongside 2 kg of gold, 6.5 kg of silver, and cash amounting to ₹5 crore. Investigations are ongoing at the time of this report.