The vigilance and security wings of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) during a routine check intercepted an RTC bus and seized huge quantity of eggs and meat that was clandestinely being transported to the Tirumala hills, at the Alipiri security point here on Sunday.
While checking the bus, the security personnel came across two steel utensils containing 180 eggs.
While a woman distanced herself from an unclaimed bag, the driver and conductor of the bus pointed out that it belonged to her.
The woman has been identified as S. Varalakshmi, wife of S. Srinivasulu and a resident of Tirupati. The family sells threads which are bought by devotees for tying to wrists as sacred bands, in Tirumala.
Though she was taken into custody for interrogation, the woman refused to confess to the ‘crime’, but children admitted that ‘she had brought the bag’.
Similarly, Venkatesh Raju, a marriage contractor from Tirumala, was caught carrying chicken on his two-wheeler.
While carrying a load of betel leaves for a wedding in Tirumala, Raju told the TTD guards that the meat was meant for personal consumption and that he had forgotten to hand it over at his house.
Handed over to police
Assistant Vigilance and Security Officer (Alipiri) Nandeeswara Rao handed both of them over to the Tirumala Two Town Police.
While possession and consumption of non-vegetarian food is prohibited on the Tirumala hills, The seizure of egg and chicken indicate towards the presence of a ‘huge market’ for the same.
The vigilance sleuths suspect the employees of the private establishments and the transport drivers shuttling on the ghat roads as the prime accused in such cases.
