Parakamani scam: BJP points to ‘discrepancies’ in previous TTD board’s decisions

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has picked holes in the entire procedure adopted in accepting landed properties as donation from C.V. Ravi Kumar, the accused in the infamous Parakamani scam case.

Ravi Kumar, a clerk in the Chinna Jeeyangar Mutt, had been found guilty of stealing some foreign currency notes deposited in the Srivari Hundi in April 2023. Later, a compromise was reportedly reached in the Lok Adalat on September 9, 2023, with the accused admitting to the crime and agreeing to “voluntarily” get the properties he purchased with the “tainted money” registered in the name of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

The case had been reopened and handed over to the CID.

A day after CID Director-General Ravishankar Ayyanar took possession of the files pertaining to the case from the TTD, after being reprimanded by the High Court for the delay, the BJP brought out procedural lapses in the manner the case had been handled by the previous trust board under the chairmanship of Y.V. Subba Reddy, when the scam allegedly saw light.

Addressing the media here on October 15, 2025 (Wednesday), TTD board member and BJP State spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy pointed to the “gaping discrepancies” in the procedure adopted by the board, especially ahead of accepting landed properties as gift or donation from the public.

As per Rule 159(2) to 160 of Chapter XXI, issued in G.O. Ms. No. 311 by the Revenue (Endowments-I) Department, dated April 9, 1990, it is required to publish notices in daily newspapers, duly calling for objections or suggestions from the public.

However, the board, at its meeting on June 19, 2023, made resolution No.159, exempting publication of notice as a “special case and as a one-time measure due to time constraint,” Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy said, and wondered what had forced the TTD board to push through the resolution in a hurry.

“The top officials who were involved in the case, right from the TTD administration to the Chief Minister’s Office, had an eye on the properties,” he alleged, suggesting that “the time constraint” was an excuse to hide the details of the properties from getting public.

Another “lapse” pointed out by legal expert and BJP city president K. Ajay Kumar was the letter of consent given by Ravi Kumar to register his properties in favour of the TTD, which happened a day after the same were actually taken over by the TTD.

“Should consent precede takeover or vice-versa? In their hurry to hush up the issue, the officials resorted to such glaring lapses that are seeing light today,” Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy said, demanding a detailed probe.