SP Parameshwar Reddy assured the public that there was no movement of terrorists in Tirumala. An investigation has been initiated to identify the person who sent the hoax email.

news Crime Tuesday, May 02, 2023 - 13:52
Written by  TNM Staff

Police authorities in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati were on high alert after receiving an email warning that terrorists had infiltrated the Lord Venkateswara shrine located there. But after searching the entire premises of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), police concluded that the threat was a hoax. The Tirupati Superintendent of Police (SP), Parameshwar Reddy, had received an email on Sunday, April 30 from a person who identified himself as Pranjal Kumar. Kumar sent two screenshots with the location of the alleged terrorists asking authorities to “check and confirm.”

The email sent the police into a tizzy, forcing them and the Vigilance Department to carry out an extensive search and forestall any possible attack. However, after screening the entire area and carrying out searches in different locations of the temple, they ruled out any suspicious activity in the temple.

After the completion of the searches, SP Parameshwar Reddy spoke to the media and assured the public that there was no movement of terrorists in Tirumala. He urged devotees not to believe false rumours and appealed to them not to panic. No emergency measure had been put in place either as there was no need. However, a probe has been initiated to trace the person who sent the fake email. TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Office Narasimha Kishor also insisted that there was no danger of any sort to Tirumala devotees.

Tirumala is one of the heavily fortified temples in India. The holy shrine here attracts thousands of devotees every day. On Sunday, a total of 82,582 pilgrims had visited the temple, according to temple authorities.

In January, a drone capturing the aerial view of the temple without the knowledge of authorities invited heavy criticism for security lapses on the part of the vigilance personnel. Following the incident, the TTD initiated an inquiry to probe the incident and ascertain if the viral video of the temple was genuine or merely a result of artificially created visual effects. The outcome of this probe was not disclosed. 

Though the Tirumala temple has not been declared a ‘no-fly zone’ by the Ministry of Defence, the TTD forbids anyone from flying objects in the airspace above the shrine as it is considered sacrilegious.