TTD AVSO’s death under lens after family’s murder claim

Tirupati: The death of former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) AVSO Y Satish Kumar has taken a dramatic turn after his family alleged that he was murdered by individuals connected to the long-pending Parakamani theft case. His younger brother, Yalati Sri Hari, lodged a complaint with the Gooty Railway Police stating that Satish had repeatedly expressed fear that his life was in danger as the CID had recently revived the investigation into the scam.

Satish Kumar, who was previously posted in TTD’s Parakamani section, had been involved with the filing of the case relating to the theft of offerings years earlier. The matter, initially registered at Tirumala I Town Police Station, was later compromised between him and the accused. With the inquiry reopened, Satish reportedly told his family that those linked to the case had been threatening him.

According to the complaint, Satish boarded Train No 12794 Rayalaseema Express on November 14. He was travelling in A-1 coach, berth No 29, en route to Tirupati to attend a CID inquiry. He had already appeared before the CID team on November 10 and had been instructed to return for further questioning.

The case took a grim turn when a railway key man, D Shamsoor, discovered an unidentified body on the tracks between Komali and Juturu stations around 9.15 am on Friday. The Station Master at Komali Railway Station immediately relayed a death message to the Gooty GRPS, reporting that the body, later identified as Satish Kumar, bore multiple injuries and was found at KM 373/9-11.

Once Sri Hari’s complaint and the death message were received, Gooty GRPS registered Crime No 75/2025 under Section 103(1) of the BNS. Sub-Inspector G Chandra filed the FIR and circulated copies to senior officials. Given the seriousness of the allegations, Circle Inspector K Ajay Kumar of the GRP Circle in Guntakal took over the investigation.

The incident quickly drew the attention of senior authorities. CID Director General Ravi Shankar Ayyannar rushed to the spot on Friday after learning of Satish’s death and spent Saturday conducting enquiries. He was engaged in the scene recreation as part of the probe. Meanwhile, GRP teams launched parallel investigations in Tirupati, where the Rayalaseema Express terminated.

Officers reportedly questioned the loco pilot, the A-1 coach TTE who had interacted with Satish, and railway yard staff who cleaned the train on arrival, probing whether any bloodstains or signs of a struggle were detected in the coach.

The family’s suspicions, combined with conflicting evidence surrounding Satish’s final journey, have intensified pressure on investigators to determine whether the death was a tragic accident or a targeted killing linked to the revived Parakamani theft probe.

A CT scan before post-mortem showed Satish had no bodily injuries but severe, shattered head damage, suggesting he was struck with a heavy object. Police noted that a fall from the train would have caused more widespread injuries, leading them to suspect that his death was a clear case of murder.