As no laddus were demonstrably made with the suspect ghee, finding direct evidence linking adulterated ingredients to the prasadam itself may be difficult.
Published Oct 22, 2025 | 12:11 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 22, 2025 | 12:11 PM
Illustration on the controversy over animal fat in Tirupati laddu
Synopsis: The CBI team probing the alleged adulteration of ghee used in preparing the sacred Tirumala Laddu prasadam invoked corruption-related provisions to widen the scope of the investigation. Investigators are examining whether the ghee was adulterated before delivery and, if so, who was responsible.
The CBI-led probe into the alleged adulteration of ghee used in preparing the sacred Tirumala Laddu prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple has reached an advanced stage.
The CBI team has invoked corruption-related provisions to widen the scope of the investigation. With the focus now on graft, the case has been transferred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Tirupati.
According to sources, adulteration constitutes a minor offence under the law—punishable with a fine or a short jail term. This is probably the reason why the scope of the investigation has been enlarged to cover the corruption angle.
Investigators are examining whether the ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was adulterated before delivery and, if so, who was responsible.
As no laddus were demonstrably made with the suspect ghee, finding direct evidence linking adulterated ingredients to the prasadam itself may be difficult.
The investigation is therefore focused on verifying whether the ghee supplied contained animal fats and identifying possible corruption in the tendering and supply chain. The investigation is now reaching its logical conclusion, an official source said.
Recent Supreme Court interventions removed procedural bottlenecks, enabling the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to resume its probe into one of the most sensitive cases involving temple sanctity, food safety and procurement corruption.
The controversy erupted in late 2024 amid allegations that animal fats and substandard materials were used in making the iconic laddus offered at Tirumala. What began as a temple management scandal soon turned into a nationwide debate on religious purity and public accountability, drawing court interventions and multiple arrests.
The issue gained traction after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan cited laboratory reports from the National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF), Anand.
The July 2024 reports indicated possible adulteration in ghee supplied to the TTD, sparking public outrage.
In response, the Supreme Court in October 2024 constituted an independent SIT comprising two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh Police officers, and one senior Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) official. Supervised by a regional CBI director, the SIT was tasked with verifying adulteration claims and safeguarding the sanctity of the prasadam consumed by millions of devotees annually.
NDDB’s CALF lab analysed ghee samples received on 9 July 2024, and issued reports on 16 July and 23 July. Tests based on fatty acid profiles, β-sitosterol content, and S-value purity revealed major inconsistencies.
While pure cow ghee typically records S-values between 95.68 and 104.32, several samples registered readings as low as 19.7–20, while others exceeded 117.42—well beyond acceptable limits.
Sample AB021253 failed milk-fat purity tests, showing contamination with foreign fats. Only Sample AB021252 complied with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) purity standards.
The NDDB findings suggested adulteration with vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower, palm kernel, rapeseed, linseed, and maize germ oils, and potentially animal-derived fats, including beef tallow, lard, and fish oil.
Though experts cautioned that certain dairy practices might affect readings, the pattern indicated deliberate adulteration.
A TTD internal audit corroborated these findings, flagging 20,000 kg of ghee as substandard out of 68,000 kg supplied by a previously blacklisted vendor.
In February 2025, the SIT arrested four key individuals: Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy, Apoorva Chawda of Vaishnavi Dairy, and Raju Rajasekharan of AR Dairy.
Investigations revealed that Vaishnavi Dairy had forged tender documents, misused AR Dairy’s credentials, and falsely claimed procurement from Bhole Baba Dairy, which lacked the capacity to supply TTD. Between 2019 and 2024, fake records and palm oil derivatives allegedly replaced genuine ghee, compromising both quality and sanctity.
By June 2025, 14 individuals connected to Bhole Baba, AR, and Vaishnavi dairies had been arrested. A status report submitted to the Supreme Court on June 27 detailed progress in tracing the supply network and noted attempts at witness intimidation and record tampering.
The probe hit a temporary roadblock in September 2025 when the Andhra Pradesh High Court faulted the CBI for allowing officer J. Venkat Rao, who was not part of the original SIT, to assist in the investigation. The order followed a petition by Kaduru Chinnappanna, who alleged harassment and coercion.
However, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order on September 26, questioning the interference: “If the SIT wants to appoint a particular officer, what is wrong with that?”
The CBI clarified that Rao functioned only as a record keeper, not as an investigator. The ruling restored the SIT’s operational independence and allowed the probe to proceed unhindered.
Following the Supreme Court’s intervention, the investigation picked up pace. Guntur Range Inspector General (IG) Sarvasreshtha Tripathi and CBI Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Murali Ramba reviewed progress in Tirupati, directing the SIT to scrutinise every stage of the ghee supply chain — from procurement to storage and distribution.
As of 5 October, cases have been registered against 13 individuals, with nine arrests completed. The SIT is coordinating with central agencies to trace interstate suppliers and middlemen. So far, one charge sheet has been filed, and a second charge sheet is likely to be filed by mid-November 2025.
Apart from fraud and adulteration, investigators are probing corruption within TTD’s procurement division. Separate charges under Sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, have been filed against a senior assistant and a superintendent in TTD for alleged bribes and tender irregularities.
The corruption case, initiated in early 2025, was transferred from a Tirupati court to the ACB Court in Nellore on 14 March 2025.
Together, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) offences, including cheating (Section 420), criminal breach of trust (Sections 405, 406, 409), and wrongful loss to TTD—alongside PC Act charges, have expanded the probe into a complex web of corporate collusion and institutional negligence.
The CBI is expected to file additional charge sheets detailing the financial and administrative layers of the scam, marking a decisive phase in the case that shook one of India’s most sacred institutions.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
