The Tirumala Tirupati temple, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, is one of India’s most revered pilgrimage centers. Each year, millions of devotees line up to offer their prayers, and with them, extraordinary amounts of wealth—cash, gold, and foreign currency—flow into its coffers.

For devotees, every rupee offered carries faith, sacrifice, and spiritual hope. But in April 2023, that trust was shaken when a shocking theft revealed how even insiders could exploit the system. The arrest of C.V. Ravi Kumar, a clerk who had served at the temple for over thirty years, raised urgent questions about accountability in one of the richest religious institutions in the world.

An Ordinary Life Turned Notorious

In the early 1990s, a young Ravi Kumar joined the Pedda Jeeyanagar Mutt, an institution that plays a supervisory role in the administration of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Barely in his twenties, he was entrusted with clerical duties in the Parakamani hall—the space where temple donations are counted and verified. The responsibility was enormous. Every single day, offerings worth ₹4 crore to ₹6 crore would arrive, and clerks like him oversaw their sorting, counting, and recording.

For over three decades, Kumar’s life appeared uneventful. He worked quietly, performed his duties, and drew little attention. To colleagues and devotees alike, he was an ordinary face in an extraordinary institution. No one could have predicted the scandal that would later emerge.

The Discovery That Changed Everything

In April 2023, CCTV operators monitoring the Parakamani hall noticed Ravi Kumar acting out of character. Unlike his usual calm demeanor, his movements appeared anxious and suspicious. Security personnel intervened, and in a rare breach of protocol, subjected him to a strip search.

The results were staggering. Ravi Kumar was caught with nine $100 bills hidden between his buttocks. The discovery not only shocked temple authorities but also sent tremors through millions of devotees across the nation. If an insider with three decades of service could attempt theft, it raised fears of how much more might have gone unnoticed over the years.

The Tirumala temple runs entirely on the trust of devotees. People donate believing their contributions will be used for the upkeep of the temple, the welfare of pilgrims, and sacred rituals. The revelation that an insider had smuggled foreign currency was not merely a financial crime—it was a betrayal of faith.

The incident also revealed lapses in oversight. Despite daily donations worth crores, internal monitoring appeared inadequate. How could a long-serving clerk sneak out cash under CCTV surveillance? Was this an isolated act or the tip of something larger?

Human Face of the Episode

For many, Ravi Kumar’s fall was bewildering. For over thirty years, he had shown no outward sign of dishonesty. His sudden descent into theft illustrated the fragility of human discipline under financial temptation. It highlighted how vulnerable even long-serving employees can become when placed in charge of vast sums without adequate safeguards.

Experts emphasized that temples like Tirumala are not only spiritual centers but also financial institutions handling colossal wealth. This case renewed calls for digital auditing, regular security reviews, and transparent handling of donations to prevent future breaches.

When the scandal broke, it dominated headlines. Some devotees argued that “one individual’s actions should not tarnish the image of the temple,” while others demanded urgent reforms.

TTD board leaders allege cover-up in Parakamani theft case

Soon, the scandal took on a political dimension. On April 29, 2023, Ravi Kumar had been caught with USD 11,300 (about ₹9 lakh) hidden on his body. But the FIR mysteriously recorded only USD 900 (₹72,000) as recovered. This discrepancy raised suspicion of a larger conspiracy.

TTD board members G. Bhanu Prakash Reddy and C. Divakar Reddy later released CCTV footage, alleging that Ravi Kumar had stolen systematically over the years and accumulated properties worth over ₹100 crore in Tirupati and Chennai. They asked bluntly: “Ravi Kumar stole $11,300 worth foreign currency (around Rs 9 lakh), but the police FIR records a recovery of only $900. Where did the rest of the money go? Who was involved in this cover-up?”

The controversy deepened when it emerged that by September 2023, Ravi Kumar had been freed after reaching a compromise in Lok Adalat. He had “donated” seven properties worth around ₹40 crore to TTD, and the case was closed. “But much to everyone's shock, he was set free after reaching a ‘settlement’ in the Lok Adalat court… Who authorised this so-called settlement?” Bhanu Prakash asked.

Adding further weight, a vigilance report revealed that AVSO Satish Kumar admitted he was “pressurised” by the police to settle the matter, indicating political interference.

Political fallout and legal concerns

The BJP alleged that former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was the mastermind behind what they termed the “Parakamani scam.” At a Tirupati press meet, Bhanu Prakash questioned, “Karunakar Reddy convened a media conference today to inform the world about the great compromise deal struck by him with an accused and his ‘humanitarian gesture’… Why did he not call the media when the accused was forced to register his properties in favour of the TTD way back in 2023?”

Advocate and BJP leader Ajay Kumar added that while Section 379 IPC (simple theft) is compoundable, Section 381 IPC (theft by a servant or clerk of property belonging to his master, punishable with up to seven years imprisonment) is non-compoundable. He expressed shock that the case was settled in Lok Adalat just six months after the charge sheet, asking whether such speedy justice was possible for ordinary citizens.

Andhra HC orders CID probe into 2023 temple theft

The scandal did not die down. In September 2025, the Andhra Pradesh High Court intervened after a Tirupati resident, M. Sreenivasulu, challenged the Lok Adalat’s settlement. A division bench suspended the compromise and directed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to seize all related records from TTD, the Lok Adalat bench, and the Tirumala One Town police.

According to reports, Ravi Kumar and his wife had already donated seven properties in May 2023, claiming it was out of “pure devotion,” only weeks after his arrest. But the timing raised serious doubts. The High Court, siding with concerns raised by TTD board members, ruled that the issue warranted deeper investigation.

Celebrating the order, BJP’s Bhanu Prakash Reddy and TUDA chairman C. Divakar Reddy released the 2023 CCTV footage again, pressing their case that the original FIR understated the amount recovered and pointing to a larger conspiracy. Meanwhile, IT Minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh alleged that YSRCP leaders were complicit in shielding Ravi Kumar and accused them of enabling the theft of nearly ₹100 crore in foreign currency from the Parakamani hall.

The journey of C.V. Ravi Kumar—from a trusted temple clerk in the 1990s to the accused in a ₹100-crore scandal—serves as a stark warning. It is no longer just about a man caught smuggling notes; it is about a broken system where faith, politics, and wealth collide. The High Court’s decision to reopen the case and involve the CID signals that the story is unfinished. For millions of devotees, the hope is that truth will prevail, accountability will be enforced, and the sanctity of one of India’s holiest shrines will be restored.