Andhra Pradesh: Seven member gang arrested for selling fake TTD darshan tickets

The police on Monday arrested seven members of two gangs who were selling fake tickets for Tirumala Srivari Darshan at high rates. The accused also included an SPF constable. In one case, SPF constable M. Krishna Rao, who was on duty in Vaikuntham-1, Arun Raju, who was working at the Tirumala laddu counter, Balaji, who was working at a travel agency in Tirupati, Narendra, who was working at the Tirumala special entrance counter, were arrested, and in another case Chengareddy, Devendra Prasad, and Venkat were arrested. According to police, members of the SPF constable gang sold special darshan tickets to Jitendra Kumar Soni and his friends, who came from Madhya Pradesh on Sunday for Rs 21,000.

TTD vigilance employees, who noticed operator Narendra sending tickets without being scanned at the counter, arrested him and complained with the Tirumala One Town police. On the occasion of the New Year, Madhusudan Rao from Peddapuram, Kurnool district came to Srivari Darshan with his family. Chengareddy gang members sold fake Rs 300 tickets for Rs 3,300 each and sent them to Srivari Darshan.

TTD vigilance officers, who spotted fake tickets at the Darshan counter, collected information from the devotees and complained to the Tirumala Two Town police station. Defendants were arrested in both cases. On this occasion, TTD CVSO Gopinath Getty advised devotees to book tickets only from TTD official websites. They were asked to bring to their attention the agents who were selling fake tickets.