Nellore: A devotee from Eluru in West Godavari district is fighting for his life at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences in Tirupati, because of the alleged high-handed behaviour of security personnel manning queue lines in Tirumala late on Monday night. Mr Thota Padmanabham, 65, who had come along with nine members of his family and joined the queue at Vaikuntam queue complex around 9.30 pm.

He fell down after the security personnel, including two women guards, pushed a man walking ahead of him at the baggage scanning area before the mahadwaram, as they were found in the queue meant for women. Even as the family members cautioned them that Mr Padmanabham was a heart patient, the women guards and an STF constable allegedly pushed him down and beat him up when he questioned them.

The family members said the guards rushed Mr Padamanabham to Aswani Hospital after he fainted in the melee and he was shifted to SVIMS in Tirupati later. The victim’s son, Mr Ramachandra Rao, and daughter Sumathi, demanded action against the security personnel for their rude behaviour. They said senior officials could see the treatment being meted out by security personnel in CCTV footage.

Mr Ramachandra Rao said their father was on ventilator and his condition is critical. Based on their complaint, Tirumala One Town sub-inspector M. Timmaiah booked a case and assured action against those responsible for the incident. TTD Vigilance and security wing in a press release on Wednesday evening denied reports about beating up of an old man by their guards. According to the press release, Mr Padmanabham entered the women devotees’ scanning point ignoring repeated instructions of women security guards.

“It resulted in a heated argument between guards and the devotee. Later, the pilgrim collapsed due to sudden increase of blood pressure. The security guards helped him up, gave him water and took him to Aswini hospital in an ambulance,” the press release said.