Jagan appoints scam accused Sarath Chandra Reddy, Dr Ketan Desai, as TTD board members

Tirumala: Former director and promoter of Aurobindo Pharma Group P Sarath Chandra Reddy and former Medical Council of India (MCI chief from Gujarat Dr Ketan Desai, who is an accused in financial frauds, are among the newly appointed Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) board members.

Andhra Pradesh government led by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has appointed 24 members to the newly constituted Tirumala TTD board on Friday. The Andhra Pradesh government constitutes a new TTD Board every two years. The tenure of the previous TTD Board ended on August 8.

Delhi-liquor scam accused

P Sarath Chandra Reddy, former director and promoter of Aurobindo Pharma Group who is one of the accused in the Delhi Liquor Scam is one of the board members. The Enforcement Directorate arrested him in November last year. Reddy was recently charge-sheeted by the probe agency in the case and is the second person to become an approver.

He was also identified as a critical person in the ‘South Group’. Sarath Chandra Reddy happens to be the brother of YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Sai Reddy’s Son-in-law.

Financial fraud accused

Another member, Dr Ketan Desai, former MCI president and a resident of Gujarat, who is accused of financial fraud is one of the board members.

This is the second time Desai has been appointed as a board member. In 2021, he was the first Gujarati on the TTD board. Dr. Ketan Desai is currently the President of the Gujarat Medical Council.

Dr Ketan Desai is an Indian urologist from Gujarat. In 2001, Delhi High Court found him guilty of corrupt practices and power abuse. He was removed from the post. However, he managed to stay afloat

Desai returned to the MCI in 2007. IN 2009, he was again appointed president. In 2010, he was arrested and jailed on charges of corruption for accepting a Rs 20 million bribe from officials of Gian Sagar Medical College in Punjab.

According to the reports, in 2010, Rs 2 crore was recovered from Desai, which he had allegedly collected as a bribe for granting recognition to Gian Sagar Medical College in Punjab while serving as MCI chief. After his arrest in 2010, eight FIRs were filed against him. So far, he has been acquitted in six of them, while two are still pending.

It may be recalled that in August, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was appointed as the 53rd chairman of the TTD Trust Board. This will be Karunakar Reddy's second opportunity to lead the TTD board. He had earlier served as the TTD chairman when YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister, between 2006-2008. Karunakar Reddy is a close aide of the YSR family.

Soon after the appointment of the TTD chairman, the opposition parties criticized the government, alleging that Bhumana Karnukar Reddy had Christian leanings.