A special investigation team formed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended four individuals in relation to the suspected adulteration of the renowned Tirupati laddus, which are offered as prasadam to devotees at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, according to officials.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy, Apoorva Chawda from Vaishnavi Dairy, and Raju Rajasekharan from AR Dairy. “The four individuals taken into custody include Bipin Jain and Pomi Jain from Bhole Baba Dairy, Apoorva Chawda of Vaishnavi Dairy, and Raju Rajasekharan of AR Dairy,” an official stated to the Press Trust of India late on Sunday evening.
Sources have indicated that the investigation by the SIT has uncovered significant breaches in the ghee supply chain, prompting the arrests. It has been alleged that officials from Vaishnavi Dairy secured contracts under the name of AR Dairy to supply ghee to the temple and were involved in fabricating documents to manipulate the tendering process.
The SIT investigation revealed that Vaishnavi Dairy falsely claimed to source ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy, even though it was determined that Bhole Baba Dairy lacked the capacity to fulfill the supply demands of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the temple authority.
Following a Supreme Court order, the CBI established a five-member SIT in November of the previous year to examine allegations regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of Tirupati laddus. The team consists of two officers from the CBI, two from the Andhra Pradesh Police, and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
In an order dated October 4, the Supreme Court, which was hearing petitions from BJP leader Subramaniya Swamy and YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy, directed that the SIT investigation into the allegations regarding animal fat in the laddus would be overseen by the director of the CBI.
In September, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the use of animal fat in the making of Tirupati laddus had occurred during the previous administration led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, igniting a significant political controversy.
During a legislative party meeting in the state in 2024, Naidu accused the former YSRCP government of compromising the integrity of the Sri Venkateswara Temple by using substandard ingredients, including animal fats, in the preparation of the laddus. These allegations have generated widespread debate and controversy across the nation.
