17 bank contract staff, 20 touts booked

Tirupati: TTD Vigilance sleuths came to the conclusion in Tirumala Srivari laddu black marketing scam that various bank contract employees and many middlemen were involved in diversion of 26,000 Laddus worth Rs 15 lakh to black market.    

In the sensation case, after completion of 15 days probe, TTD vigilance personnel registered a criminal case against the 17 bank contract employees and others on Wednesday. According to sources, miscreants’ number will reach around 40. Based on vigilance department’s complaint Tirumala I Town police registered a case under IPC section 420 on the charges of cheating.

It may be noted that during Navaratri Brahmostavams in October, TTD authorities had given exemption for scanning the laddu tokens at dispensing counter due to heavy rush. But this instruction was taken advantage of by various banks’ contract staff who were maintaining laddu dispensing counters.  

During these period, thousands of laddu tokens had been recycled and every day laddus were diverted into black market successfully with the cooperation of outsiders. The scam came to light on October 19 at the end of Brahmostavams.  Acting on a tip-off, TTD vigilance sleuths nabbed five bank contract employees on the day and grilled them over their involvement in the laddu black marketing scam.

They confessed before the vigilance officials that they had taken help from many brokers. TTD in charge CVSO T V Siva Kumar Reddy and other officials probed the case and submitted an interim report. On the instructions of TTD EO Anil Kumar Singhal, as per the TTD norms vigilance department filed a complaint.