Man Arrested For Duping 2,900 Artists In TTD Cultural Scam; ₹14 Lakh Seized
Following this, Abhishek approached the High Court, which ordered a vigilance inquiry and allowed 1,200 artists to perform on June 27 and 28.
Tirupati:Tirumala One Town police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating thousands of artists by misusing the name of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the Hindu Dharma Prachar Parishad (HDPP).
The accused, Sutrapu Abhishek from Kazipet in Warangal district, was found to have collected nearly ₹35 lakh from artists across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana under the pretext of organising a two-day cultural programme titled Srinivasa Kalaarchana at Asthana Mandapam in Tirumala.
According to police sources, Abhishek, operating under the names Annamacharya Arts Academy and Annamayya Sahithi Kala Vikasa Parishad, promised facilities such as accommodation, darshan, prasadam, mementos, and performance slots. He issued ID cards and letters to around 2,900 artists from 93 troupes, collecting amounts ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 per person.
Although Abhishek had initially secured conditional permission from HDPP, TTD revoked it after learning of the financial dealings with participants. Following this, Abhishek approached the High Court, which ordered a vigilance inquiry and allowed 1,200 artists to perform on June 27 and 28.
However, confusion arose when over 2,000 artists turned up on June 27, resulting in many being denied entry and sparking protests. The police registered a case after confirming that neither TTD nor HDPP had authorised any monetary collections. Abhishek was arrested on Tuesday, and ₹14 lakh was recovered from him. He was produced before a Tirupati court on Wednesday.
