Published Feb 03, 2026 | 7:13 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 05, 2026 | 9:58 AM
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Synopsis: The TTD board, including the then chairman, knew about adulteration in cow ghee used for laddu prasadam as early as mid-2022 but took no corrective or punitive action, the Special Investigation Team probing the case has found. Laboratory tests by the Central Food Technological Research Institute showed the presence of beta-sitosterol, a marker of vegetable oil adulteration, yet the findings were set aside despite being placed before the then chairman.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board knew about vegetable oil adulteration in cow ghee used for laddu prasadam distributed at the Tirumala Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh as far back as mid-2022, yet failed to take any corrective or punitive action, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has found.
Confrontation statements recorded by the SIT show that TTD sent four ghee samples drawn from supply tankers to the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, in May 2022 on oral instructions from then TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy. The decision followed routine in-house tests by TTD, which had cleared the consignments.
The CFTRI laboratory reports were received on 3 August 2022. They showed that all four samples tested positive for beta-sitosterol.
Dr B Surendranath, an expert member of TTD’s ghee committee, later told investigators that beta-sitosterol positivity is a confirmatory indicator of vegetable oil adulteration.
SIT records also show that the CFTRI report, along with Dr Surendranath’s remarks, was personally presented to the chairman at his camp office in Tirumala, yet the files were allowed to gather dust.
No warnings were issued, no suppliers were penalised, and no tenders were cancelled. Subba Reddy, according to the SIT, sought external verification of cow ghee supplied by multiple dairies.
In a detailed statement to the SIT, Dr Surendranath said he was repeatedly contacted by RSSVR Subrahmanyam, then general manager (procurement), TTD, after receiving the CFTRI report and urged not to explicitly term the ghee “adulterated” on the grounds that:
Dr Surendranath told the SIT that while he stood by the scientific conclusion, he eventually worded his remarks cautiously, avoiding a categorical declaration of adulteration.
Notably, TTD officials have consistently said beta-sitosterol became a mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) parameter only from 1 July 2022, after the samples were drawn, as a defence.
But the question remains: if the parameter was irrelevant, why did Chairman YV Subba Reddy himself order CFTRI testing?
The SIT noted that commissioning an external laboratory test and then discarding its findings undermines the very purpose of quality control.
The CFTRI findings also showed that all four samples had earlier been cleared by TTD’s internal laboratory. The external report directly contradicted the in-house results.
Furthermore, there were separate allegations against Subrahmanyam, who is accused of receiving cash and silver articles from agents linked to ghee suppliers to influence tenders and bill clearances.
While he has denied most of the accusations, he admitted to receiving silver items described as “complimentary gifts”, which were later seized by investigators.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
