Amaravati, September 3 (H.S.): The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a disproportionate assets case against Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Deputy Executive Officer Mendu Lokanatham following simultaneous searches at four locations in Tirupati, officials said.

The searches, conducted as part of the investigation, resulted in the seizure of property documents and other material. The ACB said the assets identified during the searches were valued at around Rs 5 crore.

According to the ACB, documents recovered from Lokanatham’s residence showed that he had purchased a house in PK Layout in Tirupati and registered it in the name of his wife.

The agency also found documents relating to two housing plots and a building in the Gollavanigunta residential area of Tirupati, which were registered in his wife’s name, it said.

Officials further seized documents concerning a house plot purchased at Padiredu Aranyam village in Tirupati district and another plot in Srinivasa Nagar residential area of Tirupati Urban registered in the name of his son.

Four fixed deposits held in the names of Lokanatham and his son were also found during the searches, according to the ACB.

Searches at the residences of Lokanatham’s brothers-in-law also resulted in the seizure of a joint property document in the name of his wife and others. The property was valued at Rs 31.9 lakh, the agency said.

The ACB also reported the seizure of 2 kg of gold, Rs 12.5 lakh in cash and 6.5 kg of silver during the searches.

The case has been registered under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

The ACB said the action followed intelligence shared by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding alleged disproportionate assets of certain TTD employees during its investigation into the alleged adulteration of Tirumala laddu.

According to the ACB, the CBI has completed its investigation into the alleged laddu adulteration case and filed a charge sheet.

As a follow-up action, the ACB’s Visakhapatnam office had earlier registered a disproportionate assets case on April 22 against K. Chinna Appanna, who had served as Personal Assistant to former TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy.

Lokanatham joined the TTD as a Junior Assistant on compassionate grounds on February 1, 1989, the ACB said. He was subsequently promoted as Senior Assistant, Superintendent, Assistant Executive Officer and Deputy Executive Officer. He is currently serving as Deputy Executive Officer at TTD, Tirumala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar