Former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy Alleges Theft of Hanuman Idol in Tirumala

Former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that an ancient Hanuman idol located along the Tirumala footpath had been stolen. Addressing the media in Tirupati, he claimed the idol, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims using the footpath every day, had disappeared despite security arrangements. He further alleged that the theft was captured on CCTV cameras and called for a transparent investigation into the incident.

Bhumana held the Andhra Pradesh government and the TTD administration responsible for the alleged security lapse. He demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu take responsibility for the incident and sought the immediate resignation of TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu. He also alleged that there were attempts to portray the accused as mentally unstable, though these claims have not been independently verified. The allegations were made by Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, and an official response from the authorities was awaited at the time of reporting.