Chennai-based Telugu industrialist J Sekhar Reddy, from whom the Income Tax authorities seized unaccounted cash of over Rs 120 crore, mostly in brand new Rs 2000 denomination besides huge amounts of gold, was removed from the trust board of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
An order to this effect was issued by the Department of Endowments, Andhra Pradesh government, on Saturday, following instructions from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Apparently, Naidu feared that continuing Sekhar Reddy in the TTD might bring bad name to him and his government and hence, he acted quickly in removing him.
Though it is believed that Naidu had nominated Sekhar Reddy to the TTD on the recommendation of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, there is a talk that Sekhar Reddy was a close associate of several TDP leaders in Chittoor district and had helped them garner contracts in Tamil Nadu.
May be, they all had hoarded their black money with him to do contracts in Chennai and other places, say some sources.
