In a major development in the Tirupati laddu adulteration case, the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested four individuals linked to a fraudulent ghee supply operation that compromised the sanctity of the sacred laddus distributed at the Tirumala temple. The arrested individuals are associated with various dairy firms involved in supplying ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The accused include Bipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy in Roorkee, Uttarakhand; Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy (Poonambakkam); and Raju Rajasekharan, MD of AR Dairy (Dundigal).
The SIT’s investigation, which included inspections at Tirumala, Tirupati, and AR Dairy’s facility in Tamil Nadu, revealed serious irregularities in the procurement and supply process. AR Dairy, a company that held a contract with TTD, was found to have engaged in fraudulent practices with the connivance of other dairy suppliers. The probe established that Vaishnavi Dairy had secured tenders for ghee supply under AR Dairy’s name by allegedly falsifying documents and seals. It was further discovered that Vaishnavi Dairy had fabricated records claiming to have sourced ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy. However, investigations revealed that Bhole Baba Dairy lacked the production capacity to supply the large quantities of ghee required for the temple’s daily laddu preparation.
According to officials, AR Foods from Tamil Nadu had secured the ghee supply tender at a rate of ₹320 per kg. On July 8, 2024, eight tankers of ghee were delivered, out of which four were sent to laboratories for testing. On July 17, reports from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) confirmed the presence of adulterants, including animal fat, in the supplied ghee. These findings substantiated allegations made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who had earlier accused the previous YSR Congress Party-led government of allowing the use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, triggering outrage among devotees.
The SIT, comprising senior officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), interrogated the accused for three days in Tirupati. However, despite strong preliminary evidence linking them to the fraud, the individuals remained uncooperative during questioning. The Supreme Court had previously intervened to replace the state-formed SIT with a more independent panel, including both central and state officials, to ensure a fair and transparent investigation.
The Tirupati laddu, an integral part of temple offerings, requires 15,000 kg of cow ghee daily for its preparation. The scandal has raised serious concerns among devotees and authorities regarding the sanctity of temple offerings and the need for stringent quality control measures in procurement processes.
