A special investigation team (SIT) led by the CBI has arrested four people for allegedly adding impure ingredients to the ghee used in Tirupati laddus, provided as blessings at the Tirumala Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
The individuals arrested are from AR Dairy, Vaishnavi Dairy, and Bhole Baba Dairy. The SIT investigation showed serious violations in the ghee supply. Vaishnavi Dairy is accused of securing tenders under AR Dairy’s name and faking records.
This follows allegations from September 2024 that the ghee contained animal fat. The Supreme Court ordered the SIT to investigate. The TTD uses a large quantity of ghee daily to make the laddus. Lab reports confirmed the ghee was adulterated.
The arrested individuals are associated with different organizations that supplied ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the temple trust. Those taken into custody include Bipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy, Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy, and Raju Rajasekharan, Managing Director of AR Dairy.
The accused were interrogated in Tirupati for three days. The SIT found them to be uncooperative despite evidence suggesting their involvement.
The SIT’s investigation revealed that Vaishnavi Dairy allegedly secured tenders for ghee supply using AR Dairy’s name and fabricated documents and seals to manipulate the tender process. Vaishnavi Dairy falsely claimed to source ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy, which could not supply the claimed quantities. The Special Investigation Team carried out inspections across multiple locations, including the AR Dairy plant in Tamil Nadu, Tirupati, and Tirumala.
The controversy began in September 2024 when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that adulterated ghee was used to make Tirupati laddus during the previous YSR Congress Party government, sparking public outrage.
Initially, the state government formed a SIT to investigate, but the Supreme Court replaced it with a new SIT consisting of both central and state officials. The current SIT includes officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The TTD uses 15,000 kg of cow ghee daily to prepare the Tirumala laddus. In July 2024, eight tankers of ghee from AR Foods arrived for testing, with lab results confirming adulteration.
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