Fake SED ticket racket busted by TTD vigilance dept

Tirupati: TTD Vigilance and Security Department has uncovered a scam involving counterfeit Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets, allowing devotees unauthorised access to Lord Venkateswara’s darshan.

The operation came to light when vigilance officials flagged irregularities at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex and detained several devotees for questioning. Investigations revealed that taxi drivers were serving as intermediaries, selling forged tickets to unsuspecting pilgrims.

Five individuals have been identified as key players in the racket. Among them are Lakshmipathi, an employee at the Rs 300 SED counter and Manikanta and Bhanu Prakash, both staff members of the fire department. Taxi drivers Sasi from Tirupati and Jagadeesh from Chennai were also implicated for selling the fake tickets.

According to the investigation, Lakshmipathi allegedly exploited his role at the SED counter to facilitate entry for devotees with counterfeit tickets, while Manikanta and Bhanu Prakash reportedly produced the fake passes. Sasi and Jagadeesh sold these tickets to devotees from Hyderabad, Proddutur and Bengaluru, collecting Rs.19,000 from eleven victims.

The five suspects have been handed over to the One Town Police for further investigation. TTD authorities have cautioned devotees against purchasing tickets through unauthorised sources and urged them to use the official TTD website for bookings to avoid falling victim to such scams.