The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four individuals in connection with the supply of adulterated cow ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for the preparation of the sacred Tirupati Laddu Prasadam. The arrests come as part of a larger investigation into the controversial adulteration scandal that rocked the revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.
The individuals arrest include Raju Rajasekharan, Managing Director of AR Dairy; Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy (Roorkee, Uttarakhand); and Apoorva Chawda,
, CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy. The CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed in November last year, unearthed serious violations in the ghee supply chain, revealing various irregularities at every stage of procurement and distribution.
TTD, which uses 15,000 kg of ghee daily for making the renowned Tirumala laddus, had awarded the supply contract to AR Foods at Rs 320 per kg. On July 8, 2024, eight tankers of ghee arrived and samples from four tankers were sent to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Labs for testing. On July 17, lab reports confirmed the presence of impure and adulterated substances in the ghee, triggering widespread public outrage.
The issue further escalated in September 2024, when reports emerged that the ghee used in making the laddus contained lard, beef tallow, and fish oil. A lab test from Gujarat revealed these shocking adulterations, leading nationwide protests. Hindus across the world, for whom the Tirupati laddu is a sacred offering, condemned the act as a severe violation of religious sentiments.
The TTD administration faced massive backlash. The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, responded by replacing the existing TTD board with devout Hindu members from all four southern states to restore faith in the institution. The government also asked 18 non-Hindu employees of TTD to either seek transfers to other departments or resign, further reinforcing its commitment to preserving the temple’s sanctity.
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