Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted simultaneous searches at various locations of Mendu Lokanatham, Deputy Executive Officer (Dy. EO) of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
The investigating agency said searches were performed at four places including the house of the accused officer and properties associated with his relatives in Tirupati. The investigators seized documents and other material during the operation.
The ACB has registered a disproportionate assets case against Lokanatham under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, with amendment in 2018 in conjunction with Section 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The case arises from the accusation that the public servant's assets are substantially disproportionate to his proven sources of income. The investigation is ongoing and the allegations are subject to the outcome of the legal process.
According to the ACB, searches resulted in the identification of several properties and financial assets that are associated with the officer and his family members. These include two buildings, four house plots, four fixed deposits, a property document, gold, silver and cash.
The agency has also found documents of a house building in P.K. Layout, Tirupati which was allegedly purchased by the officer and registered in the name of his wife. Two house plots and a building in the Gollavanigunta residential area of Tirupati city have also been identified by investigators which are registered in the name of his wife.
Another house plot was found at Padiredu Aranyam village in Vadamalapeta Mandal of Tirupati district. The search also uncovered a house plot in the Srinivasa Nagar residential area of Tirupati Urban, according to the agency's information, registered in the name of Lokanatham's son.
In addition to immovable properties, the investigators found four fixed deposits in the names of the accused officer and his son. At the officer’s brothers-in-law’s homes, officials found a property document held jointly by the officer and others, the value of which was estimated to be around ₹31.98 lakh.
The searches also resulted in the recovery of 2 kilograms of gold, 6.5 kilograms of silver and ₹12.5 lakh in cash. According to the information released in connection with the searches, the assets identified so far are estimated to be around ₹5 crore.
The action follows information given to the ACB about assets of individuals at TTD, his letter said. The material also mentions a separate disproportionate assets case against Chinna Appanna, the personal assistant to former TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy. It was registered by the ACB Visakhapatnam office in April 2026.
The information also mentions the CBI investigation into the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams laddu adulteration controversy. According to the details presented, the CBI completed its investigation in that case and filed a charge sheet after which certain information about disproportionate assets of TTD employees was shared with the Andhra Pradesh ACB. But the two matters should be distinguished since the current searches concern the separate disproportionate assets case involving Lokanatham.
The ACB searches are part of an ongoing investigation, and further examination of seized documents and other material could determine the exact nature and value of the assets allegedly held by the officer and his family members. Property ownership records, bank and fixed deposit information of the officer and other financial documents will be checked and compared with the officer’s known sources of income.
Further searches and investigation are in progress, the agency said. The seized documents and other evidence will be looked at as part of the investigation before authorities decide what’s next, the agency said.
VIDEO | Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: ACB raids residence of TTD Deputy Executive Officer Lokanadham.
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Disproportionate assets investigations generally involve comparing a public servant’s legitimate sources of income to the assets accumulated during that period. Assets being discovered in search do not in itself give rise to criminal liability, but the investigating agency needs to have the relevant facts and to present evidence through the legal process to prove the case.
The ACB operation has however raised the question of financial transparency and accountability in public institutions. As the investigation continues on Mendu Lokanatham, authorities will have to establish the source, ownership and valuation of the properties, deposits, cash and precious metals discovered in the searches. For all the above reasons, all these details will emerge once the agency is able to verify and investigate.
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