Former TTD chairman alleges major liquor racket on Tirumala hill

Tirupati, Aug 23 (IANS) Former Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Sunday alleged that TTD Vigilance, police and the TTD administration were collectively covering up a major liquor and gutka racket operating on the sacred Tirumala hill.

The YSR Congress Party leader demanded the immediate release of CCTV footage and phone-location records to establish the truth.

Speaking to the media here, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said one Eega Ramu was caught near Kousthubham Guest House on August 21 between 7.30 and 8 p.m. while supplying 182 quarter bottles of liquor to a person named Balaji, while Eega Priya was separately caught near Nagateertham with thousands of gutka packets. Though both were caught on Tirumala hill, the FIR showed them as having been caught at the Alipiri Link Bus Stand the following morning, he said.

Bhumana demanded to know why the location of the incident was changed in the FIR and charged that the actual seizure on Tirumala was deliberately covered up.

He demanded release of CCTV footage from Kousthubham Guest House, Nagateertham and the Alipiri Link Bus Stand, along with the phone locations of SI Srivani and Eega Ramu at the relevant times.

He further questioned why the caste details of the accused were specifically mentioned in the FIR and sought an explanation from the authorities.

Bhumana claimed that nearly 1,000 quarter bottles of liquor are reaching Tirumala every day, with bottles purchased for around Rs 120 being sold for Rs 350–500 on the hill. He demanded a comprehensive investigation into who is running the racket and who is protecting it.

“If (TTD Chairman) B.R. Naidu has the courage and integrity, he should release the CCTV footage, phone locations and records instead of issuing statements. The evidence will establish where they were actually caught and why the facts were changed in the FIR,” Bhumana said.

–IANS

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