A former vigilance officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), who played a crucial role as a complainant in the high-profile Parakamani theft case in Tirumala, was found dead under suspicious circumstances near Tadipatri in Anantapur district on Friday.
The deceased, identified as Satish Kumar, a former Assistant Vigilance and Security Officer (AVSO) of TTD, was found lying on a railway track near Komali village on the outskirts of Tadipatri.
Railway police and local authorities are treating the case as a suspicious death and have begun an investigation.
Satish Kumar had earlier lodged a formal complaint alleging that C V Ravi Kumar, a head clerk with Pedda Jeeyar Swamy mutt, involved in the counting of temple hundi collections (Parakamani), had misappropriated money during the counting process.
His complaint formed the basis of the ongoing CID probe into alleged irregularities in the handling of TTD’s offerings.
According to official sources, the CID had questioned Satish Kumar on November 6 as part of its probe into procedural lapses, accountability issues, and alleged financial irregularities in the Parakamani operations.
Investigators were reportedly examining whether internal oversight failures contributed to the alleged theft.
The CID had also issued fresh notices to Satish Kumar, directing him to appear again for further questioning in the coming days. He was considered a key witness and complainant in the case.
Authorities are now examining multiple angles, including whether Satish Kumar died by suicide or whether foul play may be involved.
Forensic teams have collected evidence from the spot, and the body has been shifted for postmortem examination.
Railway Police, local police, and CID officials are coordinating to piece together the sequence of events leading up to his death, given his direct involvement in an ongoing sensitive investigation.
