TTD EO holds crucial meeting, says Alipiri walkway will be closed after 6PM

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has been alerted about a tragic incident where a girl lost her life in an alleged leopard attack on the Alipiri walkway in Tirumala. In response, TTD's Executive Officer (EO) Dharma Reddy called for an emergency meeting on Saturday with officials from the forest department and vigilance to determine the necessary safety measures for devotees on the Tirumala walkway.

TTD EO Dharma Reddy expressed sadness over the attack on the child on the Tirumala Walkway. He announced that measures are being taken to capture the leopard in Alipiri by setting up a cage. He said as a safety precaution, the Alipiri walkway will be closed from 6 pm to 6 am and opined that security measures will be implemented every 40 steps along the walkway. Visitors traveling to Tirumala with young children are advised to exercise caution.

Dharma Reddy emphasized that the forest department, police, and TTD will collaborate to enhance security on the walkway. He said 500 CC cameras will be installed along the Alipiri walkway. A scene reconstruction has been conducted under the supervision of CCF Nageswara Rao to investigate the cheetah sighting incident. Additionally, individuals have been instructed to park their bikes on the ghat road by 6 pm as per the received instructions.

The incident came to light when a six-year-old girl named Lakshita, daughter of Dinesh Kumar and Sasikala from Pothireddypalem, Kovuru mandal in Nellore district, went missing on Friday evening while on the Alipiri walkway. The parents, unaware of the cheetah attack, searched for their child along the walkway.

Later, parents reported Lakshita missing to the police on Friday night, prompting a search operation. On Saturday morning, the police discovered the girl's body on the footpath. The body was then transferred to Tirupati RUIA Hospital. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway. Following the completion of the post-mortem examination, the body was returned to the parents.

CCF Nageswara Rao and DFO Satish Kumar inspected the location where the girl was attacked by the cheetah. They stated that confirmation of the animal species responsible for the attack, whether it was a cheetah or a leopard, would be determined after the post-mortem report. They said a base camp will be established to trap the animals involved. If it is a bear, it will be captured using tranquilizers, while a bone trap will be used for capturing a leopard. "Drone cameras and trap cameras will be used to monitor animal movements. A high alert zone will be established from the 7th milestone to the Narasimha Swamy temple," officials said.