We have nothing to do with seized hair: TTD

Tirumala: TTD on Tuesday clarified that the recent seizure of 120 bags of (tonsured) human hair on the border of Mizoram-Myanmar by Assam Rifles has nothing to do with TTD. It said all of its stock of tonsured hair (donated) by devotees as part of their vow is being sold on the e-auction platform to international bidders. Many temples in the country do carry out sales of human hair offered by devotees. TTD also executes human hair sale on e-platform for every three months and it is a routine process, TTD stated.

TTD hands over the hair stock through e-tenders to the successful bidders after deducting prescribed GST. Thereafter, TTD will not interfere on issues like whether the bidder possessed international export permits or where all they dispose of their stock to whom, once it is sold and hand over the stock to the bidder..

However, TTD said that it will blacklist the companies or the bidders if the authorities officially sought based on any charge or infringement of rules.

It may be noted here that in February, Assam Rifles seized 120 bags of human hair for want of valid documents.

In the subsequent enquiries by the authorities, it came to light that the human hair consignment was from TTD and it was also found during investigation that such consignments brought from many temple managements were being smuggled to Myanmar and from there to Thailand where the human hair is processed and sent to China from where to various countries after processing them into wigs.

The seizure of the human hair which was widely reported in the media which also raised many doubts on how the hair sold by temples being cornered by international smugglers.

Meanwhile, TDP leader P R Mohan criticised the TTD for simply washing its hands of on the issue by stating that it is nothing to do with it and wanted the TTD to verify the antecedents of the purchaser to avoid the human hair offered by devotees going into the hands of smugglers.