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Tirupati Temple
Google Vice President Thota Chandrasekhar donated Rs 1 crore to the SV Pranadana Trust of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Thursday, the temple authorities said. The cheque was handed over to TTD Chairman B R Naidu by Chandrashekhar in Tirumala. "Google Vice President Chandrasekhar donated Rs 1 crore to the SV Pranadana Trust of TTD on Thursday," said the release from the temple body. TTD officials appreciated the donor's gesture during the meeting held at the Chairman's office in the temple town. TTD is the official custodian of Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, the richest Hindu shrine in the world.
A special investigation team led by the CBI has arrested four people in connection with the alleged adulteration of the famous Tirupati laddus offered as prasad to devotees at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, officials said. Those arrested have been identified as Vipin Jain, Pomil Jain, Apoorva Chawda and Raju Rajasekharan, they said. On the orders of the Supreme Court, the CBI set up a five-member SIT in November last year to investigate the allegations of the use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus. The team comprised two officers from the central agency, two from Andhra Pradesh Police and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), they said. In its October 4 order, the apex court, after hearing the petitions by BJP leader Subramaniya Swamy and YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy, among others, said the probe into the allegation of using animal fat in making the laddu would be conducted by the SIT and will be supervised by the CBI director. Andhra Prade
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said he would order a judicial inquiry into the stampede incident that left six people dead and dozens injured, besides transferring three senior officials including the district Superintendent of Police. Addressing a press conference, Naidu said he has ordered suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction. He further said he noticed some loopholes or leakages in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati which should have been 'perfect'. Expressing grief over the incident, Naidu said he is announcing Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured. According to him, a new system of issuing tokens was introduced by the previous regime in Tirupati as opposed to the earlier system of giving them in Tirumala hills. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of the deceased devotees who died in a stampede here. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10. "The state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the families of the deceased persons," said an official release. State Revenue Minister A Satya Prasad said Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia has been announced to support the families of the deceased devotees. "We cannot replace life with anything else. To support the families, we have announced Rs 25 lakh," said Prasad, talking to reporters after calling on the victims' families as part of a group of ministers
Four devotees, including three women died and several more were injured in a stampede here on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, a police official said. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10. "Three women and a man died in the stampede," the official confirmed to PTI. Meanwhile, videos of police administering CPR on a couple of woman devotees and injured persons being shifted in ambulances went viral.