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Andhra Pradesh High Court judge Justice Gannamaneni Ramakrishna Prasad on Tuesday, December 16, observed that the CCTV systems in Tirumala Tirupati DevasthanamLo (TTD) should be equipped with AI for better monitoring. He also said that the process of segregating and counting currency notes and coins (Parakamani) should be mechanised instead of relying on volunteers and TTD workers.
The judge made these comments while hearing a batch of writ petitions related to the Parakamani theft case involving one CV Ravi Kumar who was caught stealing foreign currency by concealing the cash in his undergarments in April 2023. While investigators initially found that he had stolen $11,300 (Rs 9 lakh), later it was found that the accused had repeatedly stolen over the years amassing properties worth up to Rs 100 crore.
Discussing the Parakamani case, Justice Prasad noted that AI would bring down human intervention, thereby reducing the scope for theft or misappropriation of money. He also said the TTD should secure the offerings and protect the sentiments of people.
“The TTD must refrain from disturbing what the Agama Shastra said about counting, but since it moved out of the temple premises and, consequently, the Agama Shastra might not come in the way, the handling of offerings should be changed from manual to automatic,” the judge said, adding that it would be good to stop outsourcing.
The next hearing in the case has been posted to December 19.