Devotee jumps to death under TTD vehicle at Tirumala

A 40-year-old devotee committed suicide by jumping under a running milk van near the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Friday morning, police said.

The man, who had his head tonsured, jumped before the van of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the body which governs the shrine, police said.

The mishap occurred early this morning when the van was leaving the temple precints after unloading milk meant for the celestial bath (Abhishekam) conducted to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara at the shrine, police said.

Initially, police suspected it to be an accident.

However, after verifying CCTV footage, the incident was determined as a suicide, police said, adding that the deceased was suspected to be from Tamil Nadu.

A temple official told PTI that this was the first time such an incident had happened here

Meanwhile, the hill temple Agama Sastra Advisor A V Ramana Dikshitulu told reporters that a minor religious cleansing process was conducted at the temple since the incident took place at a street close to the shrine.

"It is not appropriate to end ones life forcefully and induling in such acts at a holy place is a sin," he added.