Andhra ACB arrests TTD official in ghee adulteration probe

Andhra Pradesh ACB arrested TTD Deputy Executive Officer Mendu Lokanatham after searches at premises linked to him in connection with the alleged ghee adulteration case. Officials seized cash, gold, silver and property documents and identified assets worth around Rs 5 crore

Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s Deputy Executive Officer (EO) Mendu Lokanatham after searches at premises linked to him in connection with the investigation into the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to the TTD.

The ACB arrested Lokanatham after searches at his house, office and other premises were completed on Thursday.

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The TTD official is likely to be produced before the ACB Court later in the day.

Lokanatham is currently serving as Deputy EO of the Tirumala temple. He had reportedly held key positions in the erstwhile YSRCP government.

ACB officials simultaneously raided four premises linked to Lokanatham in Tirupati district on Wednesday. They seized evidence, including property documents, Rs 12 lakh cash, two kg gold, 6.5 kg silver and other material.

Searches were conducted at Lokanatham’s residence in Peddakapu Layout in Tirupati, the residences of his wife’s brothers, Munikrishna and Ramesh, and the house of his younger brother in Yerpedu mandal.

The anti-graft agency identified assets worth around Rs 5 crore. The value could be higher according to prevailing market rates.

According to the agency, a residential property in Peddakapu Layout was purchased in the name of Lokanatham’s wife, Manjula. Officials also identified two house plots in Gollavanigunta, a plot in the Padiredu forest area of Vadamalapeta mandal, and a house plot in Srinivasanagar in Tirupati city in the name of his son. Four fixed deposits held in the names of Lokanatham and his son were also identified.

The ACB said it conducted the searches as part of its surveillance of officials suspected of facilitating irregularities in connection with the investigation into the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to the TTD.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the alleged ghee adulteration case, had recommended that the involvement of TTD officials and other suspects linked to the irregularities be established.

As a follow-up, ACB Visakhapatnam registered a case against K. Chinna Appanna, who served as personal assistant to the then TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, for his alleged role in influencing ghee suppliers. The investigation further led to the doorstep of Deputy EO Lokanatham.