The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted simultaneous raids on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at residences and properties linked to Mendu Lokanatham, the Deputy Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. The searches commenced at 6 a.m. and involved seven ACB teams operating under the leadership of DSP Srinivasa Rao, per official state updates.
Lokanatham currently serves as the Temple Deputy EO of the revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. The raids form part of an active corruption investigation examining allegations that Lokanatham possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to ACB operational disclosures, the seven teams executed coordinated searches across several locations. Officers raided Lokanatham's primary residence in Peddakapu Layout, his official office in Tirumala, and an associated guest house in Tirumala.
Additional search teams simultaneously inspected properties belonging to his family members, including the residences of his two brothers-in-law in Tirupati and his sister's residence located in Chellur within the Yerpedu mandal. Furthermore, ACB officials accessed and examined bank lockers belonging to Lokanatham located at the State Bank of India STV Nagar branch in Tirupati.
The exact financial figure or detailed valuation of the disproportionate assets allegedly owned by Mendu Lokanatham has not been publicly disclosed by anti-corruption authorities. Additionally, the definitive findings and inventory from the examination of his bank lockers remain unreleased in current reports.
The operation marks the second instance in a decade that the Anti-Corruption Bureau has conducted searches at premises linked to a high-ranking Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams official. A similar anti-corruption raid was executed in 2016 targeting T. Bhupathi Reddy, who served as the Deputy Executive Director of TTD at that time, according to historical state anti-corruption records.
For devotees of the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple and the general public, the ongoing investigation highlights continued state scrutiny into the management of prominent religious institutions. Such anti-corruption actions carry direct implications for public trust, administrative transparency, and the oversight of temple resources within the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams framework.
