Tirumala police have launched an investigation into a case of fraud after a devotee from Tamil Nadu was allegedly cheated of ₹2.6 lakh by two individuals promising Srivari L-1 darshan tickets.
Tirupati:Tirumala police have launched an investigation into a case of fraud after a devotee from Tamil Nadu was allegedly cheated of ₹2.6 lakh by two individuals promising Srivari L-1 darshan tickets. The case was registered at Tirumala Two Town police station on Saturday based on a complaint from D. Sangamitra, a resident of Ulundurpet, currently staying in Vijayawada.
As per the complaint, the incident unfolded on March 2 when the devotee received a WhatsApp message from a man identifying himself as M. Deepu Babu, who claimed he could arrange special darshan tickets at the Tirumala temple.
Later, another individual named Pavan Kumar joined the conversation and instructed her to transfer the money to multiple bank accounts, assuring her that the payments would secure the tickets.
Between March 2 and March 7, the complainant transferred various amounts, including ₹4,500, ₹10,000, ₹8,000, ₹47,500, and larger sums of ₹36,500 and ₹1,36,000, adding up to ₹2.6 lakh. However, despite repeated assurances, the tickets never materialised. When Sangamitra sought updates, the accused either delayed responses or stopped replying altogether.
Suspicious of the prolonged silence and lack of confirmation, she gathered transaction details, WhatsApp messages, and bank records before approaching the police. Following her complaint, Tirumala Two Town police registered a case and initiated probe into the matter. Officials have urged devotees to be cautious and to rely solely on official Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) channels for darshan tickets, reiterating that the L-1 category had been permanently discontinued in 2019.
