TTD to overhaul security setup at Tirumala

Tirupati : Stirred by the recent security breach at Tirumala temple by a pilgrim who filmed the Ananda Nilayam in the high-security shrine, without being noticed by the posse of security, the TTD began an elaborate exercise to overhaul its security set up on the hills.

Speaking to the media after the monthly ‘Dial your EO’ programme at Tirumala, Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy said a high-level meeting of security officials including State intelligence and police officials, Central IB, district top police officer and TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (CVSO) will be held soon to review the present security at Tirumala and the measures to be taken to make the security setup impregnable in future.

Admitting the recent filming of the shrine and posting it on social media by a pilgrim making it viral on social media, bypassing all the security at various places is a serious security lapse, Reddy said the CVSO, VGO and security officials on duty in the massive queue complex were warned immediately after the incident came to light and the concerned security personnel who were on duty for checking the pilgrims in the queue complex before allowing them to the temple for darshan will be placed under suspension, after the report from CVSO who was directed to probe into the incident.

In the same breath, the EO said he viewed the incident as a God sent cautioning to TTD to be more vigilant and observed that the TTD was able to zero in on the accused with the help of the same elaborate security setup involving a large number of CC cameras and vigilance and security sleuths.

After the incident, he said the security and vigilance personnel took up the verification of the footages and scanning the images resulting in identifying the accused and tracking him from the shrine where he filmed the Ananda Nilayam to outside shrine, the room where he stayed and reaching bus stand to go down the hills on his return journey and also obtaining other details like his mobile phone and address helped the TTD security to nab him in his place, he said explaining that it took some time for scanning the large amount of footages to zero in on the accused. Subsequently, he was brought to Tirupati.

The pilgrim who filmed the Tirumala temple was identified as Rahul Reddy (19), son of Linga Reddy of Karimnagar, Telangana State, the EO said, informing that a team of TTD security personnel rushed to Karimnagar to detain and bring him to Tirupati for interrogation.

The EO said the preliminary enquiry of the accused revealed that he intentionally diverted the attention of the vigilance personnel at the security point checking the pilgrims (frisking) and managed to pass on with his mobile.

Replying to a question, he said the present setup facilitates thorough checking of 2,500 pilgrims per hour while the TTD is clearing 5,500 pilgrims per hour for darshan, pinpointing the dire need of capacity build to check pilgrims in tune with the darshan capacity, to avoid delay in providing darshan.

The high-level security meeting will also look into this issue to find out a solution for the TTD to follow, he averred. Meanwhile, Tirumala police who arrested the accused Rahul, brought him to Tirupati. The 19-year-old was pursuing CA.

“The accused said he is fond of visiting popular temples and filming them with his mobile phone for posting them on social media like YouTube,” police said, adding that on the night of May 7, when he visited Tirumala temple he was carrying the mobile on his back, inserted in the underwear. Further enquiry is on.