Rs 2 lakh stolen from laddu counter in Tirumala

Rs 2 lakh in cash was stolen in the Laddu complex at the Srivari temple here on Tuesday morning

Tirumala: Rs.2 lakh in cash was stolen in the Laddu complex at the Srivari temple here on Tuesday morning.

The thief was traced by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Vigilance sleuths based on CC Camera footage and it appears he was an old offender.

The incident took place in Counter No.36 when a recently recruited TTD employee named Raja Kishore kept the amount with him and slept in the counter itself without locking the door. When he woke up, he noticed that the cash was missing and immediately informed TTD Security staff. They in turn verified the CCTV footage in Common Command Control Centre. The thief was identified as an old offender Sitapati.

Based on the complaint filed by the TTD, Tirumala I Town Police registered an FIR and the police are on the look out for the thief. To prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future, an additional 20 security guards were immediately deployed at the Laddu Complex.

Arrangements have also been made to train the employees manning the laddu counter to handle the cash carefully in future.