A.V. Dharma Reddy, Special Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), was shifted by the Andhra Pradesh Government on Monday in the wake of an alleged suicide by a temple employee and a ticket scam in the popular shrine.

Reddy’s transfer came within hours after a three—member TTD Specified Authority comprising senior IAS officers, constituted by the state government to run the TTD in the wake of allegations of irregularities at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, assumed charge today.

Reddy, an Indian Defence Estate Service (IDES) officer, has now been posted as Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Information Commission in Hyderabad, said a Government Order issued by state Chief Secretary S V Prasad.

The employees’ unions of the TTD have been demanding the transfer of Reddy in the last few days following the alleged suicide of Suresh, a TTD employee. The union leaders alleged that Suresh committed suicide unable to bear the harassment by Reddy.

Alleging that Reddy was involved in the ‘Arjita Seva’ ticket scam and also the suicide of Suresh, the employees’ union leaders demanded that the Special Officer be repatriated to his parent department. Reddy, however, denied the allegations and insisted he had nothing to do with the suicide of Suresh.

In Tirupati, J Satyanarayana, Special Chief Secretary, Medical and Health took oath as Chairman while I Y R Krishna Rao, TTD Executive Officer and V Nagireddy, Managing Director of AP Industrial Development Corporation, took oath as members of the Specified Authority, TTD sources said.

The government had constituted the authority in the wake of several allegations of irregularities, especially the much publicized multi—crore rituals tickets scam. The authority was constituted on August 24, the day when the term of the TTD Board, headed by D K Adikesavulu Naidu ended.