Tirupati: Giving a further twist to the sensational Parakamani scam in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), TDP leader and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh chairman Animini Ravi Naidu filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the AP High Court seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

In his petition, Ravi Naidu urged the court to constitute a SIT comprising officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), State police, and competent TTD authorities to reinvestigate the case registered under FIR No 24 of 2023. He stated that such an investigation was essential to unearth the larger conspiracy and to identify those behind the alleged siphoning of funds from the TTD’s Parakamani — the sacred treasury where devotees’ offerings are counted.

It may be recalled that on October 27, the High Court ordered twin investigations into the case, directing the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct separate probes into the alleged theft and misuse of Parakamani funds. The court instructed both agencies to submit their reports before December 2, when the case is scheduled for the next hearing.

The court further specified that the CID probe should be led by an officer of director general of police (DGP) rank, while the ACB was tasked with examining the wealth and assets of the accused, C V Ravi Kumar and his family. The bureau was directed to scrutinise their bank accounts, property dealings, and other financial transactions to determine whether these matched their known sources of income.

Meanwhile, even as the twin probes are underway, Ravi Naidu’s PIL has sought a more comprehensive inquiry through a SIT. Alternatively, he requested the court to appoint a special committee headed by a retired High Court judge with officials from the state police and TTD as members. As a third option, he proposed a SIT comprising officers from the State police and TTD officials, asserting that any of these three mechanisms would help uncover the full extent of the multi-crore scam.

Ravi Naidu also appealed to the court to direct the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries of the Endowments and Home Departments, the Director General of Police, and the TTD Executive Officer to preserve and take immediate custody of all documents and evidence related to the case to prevent tampering or loss of material information.