Tirupati police have recovered a stolen Hanuman murti from the Tirumala ghat road within about 14 to 15 hours and arrested a man from Visakhapatnam in connection with the theft.
The one-foot-tall stone murti was taken from a shrine near the Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy statue at the 7th Mile on the first ghat road in the early hours of Wednesday. The shrine is frequented by devotees walking the Alipiri footpath to Tirumala.
Acting on a complaint from TTD vigilance officials, Tirumala II Town police formed special teams and launched a swift investigation. District SP Subba Rayudu supervised the probe in coordination with TTD chief vigilance officer Murali Krishna. Investigators used CCTV footage, facial recognition, vehicle tracking, and other technical evidence to identify the suspect.
The accused, Potnuru Jaswanth Kumar, 27, was apprehended at Ongole railway station while travelling on the Howrah Express. Police said he had completed engineering, was unemployed, and had reportedly been undergoing treatment for mental health issues for the past three years. During questioning, he said he had taken the idol home for worship after noticing it during an earlier visit to Tirumala.
TTD has since reinstalled the murti with prescribed Agama rituals. Officials say protective grills will be installed around small shrines along the ghat roads and additional high-resolution CCTV cameras will be added to strengthen surveillance.
Stolen Hanuman murti from Tirumala ghat road recovered within 15 hours; Visakhapatnam man arrested.
When faith is tested, swift action restores trust.
