The Special Investigation Team (SIT), who is investigating the supply of adulterated ghee for the famous Laddu Prasadam of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), strongly opposed the bail of the directors of three dairies in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is leading this SIT, claimed in the court that the directors of Bhole Baba Dairy, Vaishnavi Dairy and AR Dairy were part of a deep and multi-shrine conspiracy, which was not only cheated TTD, but also to betray the faith of millions of devotees.
‘Betrayal with faith …’
CBI’s permanent lawyer PSP Suresh Kumar said, “This is not just a matter of food fraud, it is a betrayal of faith.”
The CBI alleged that Bhole Baba Dairy, which had no formal agreement with TTD, obtained a contract for ghee supply by placing AR Dairy in front. The papers may be named Ar Dairy, but in fact Ghee was supplied by Bhole Baba Dairy, which according to investigators, not ghee but a harmful mix of palm oil and chemicals.
The three accused dairies (Bhole Baba, Vaishnavi and AR Dairy) were involved in the scheme and were doing business of hundreds of crores.
The CBI also claimed that these dairies tried to intimidate the witnesses. Co-accused Ashish Rohilla, who was willing to testify, was forcibly taken to Chennai and later to Delhi so that he could not make a statement.
Decision can be decided on 16 June
The CBI argued that the accused are financially strong and can affect other witnesses on getting bail. In this case, not only legal, but also religious sentiments are attached, so the agency appealed to the court to take it very seriously. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has reserved its decision on the bail plea till 16 June.
The scam came out last year when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government claimed that animal fat ghee has been used in Prasadam Laddu of Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. The case created a ruckus across the country and on the order of the Supreme Court, the CBI formed a five -member SIT in November 2024, including two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh Police Officer and a representative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI).
The investigation found serious flaws in the TTD’s e-tendering process and revealed that Bhole Baba Dairy, which was blacklisted by TTD in 2022, supplied adulterated ghee through Vaishnavi Dairy and AR Dairy.
Lab report confirmed impure elements
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) requires 15,000 kg of cow ghee daily to make laddus. AR Foods of Tamil Nadu obtained a tender to supply ghee at the rate of Rs 320 per kg. On July 8, eight ghee tankers came and four were sent for investigation. On July 17, the lab report confirmed the presence of impure elements in ghee.
Let us tell you that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed in September last year that animal fat was used to prepare Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the state, which led to a big political dispute.