Vellore gold heist picture falsely linked to J Sekhar Reddy case

Users claim that Income Tax (IT) officials recovered, gold biscuits, and diamonds during a raid at the house of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board member J Sekhar Reddy.

Netizens claim that J. Shekar Reddy, one of the 17 trustees of Tirupati Tirumala Temple, was having Rs 106 crore cash, 127 kg gold biscuits, and diamonds worth Rs 60 crore.

"Dear friends, This is J . Shekar Reddy, one of the 17 trustees of Tirupati Tirumala Temple. IT officers raided his house and farmhouse. Rs 106 crores in cash was seized along with 127 kg gold biscuits, diamonds worth 60 crores," reads the post.

FACT CHECK:

The viral pictures and videos are not linked to the J Sekhar Reddy raid case. Pictures are from a recent bust in Vellore.

The official handle of Asst. Superintendent of Police, Vellore tweeted a similar picture. Police arrested a man on charges of stealing valuables from a Jos Alukkas jewelry store. They recovered around 16 kg of gold worth Rs 8.5 crore.

Media outlets such as Indian Express, Times of India, and Daily Thanthi, a Tamil media organization reported the same with similar visuals. A week after the gold heist at a popular jewelry showroom in Vellore, the District Police arrested one person and recovered the entire 16 kg of gold and diamond jewelry from the graveyard in Odugathur.

Clearly, the viral visuals are not linked to the J Sekhar Reddy raid case.

Moreover, the TTD board member J Sekhar Reddy raid case is not recent. In 2016, the IT Department busted a money-laundering racket and seized Rs. 120 crore in demonetized notes, new currency, and gold from three associates — Sekhar Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy, and Prem. Later, the Andhra Pradesh government decided to expel J Sekhar Reddy from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board.

But in 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation dismissed the case against Reddy and five others due to lack of evidence.

(Source: The Hindu, Business Standard, The Hindu)