The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended four suspects linked to the Tirumala laddu adulteration case. The arrested individuals include former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy in Roorkee, Bipin Jain and Pomil Jain, as well as the CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy, Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, and Raju Rajasekharan, the Managing Director of AR Dairy.
This action is part of an ongoing investigation into irregularities surrounding the supply of ghee for the production of Tirumala laddus.
Reports indicate that representatives from Vaishnavi Dairy allegedly secured tenders under the guise of AR Dairy, utilizing fraudulent documentation and seals to manipulate the tendering process. These false records suggested ghee procurement from Bhole Baba Dairy, which lacked the capacity to fulfill the necessary supply quantities.
The accused individuals are expected to be presented in court tomorrow. A member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and CBI Joint Director has traveled to Tirupati to oversee the proceedings.
This investigation traces back to allegations made during the previous administration of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, which reported the presence of impure materials in the laddu prasadam. Following directions from the Supreme Court, the CBI-monitored SIT probe has included participants from the Andhra Pradesh government and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Initiated last year, the investigation reveals that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) requires 15,000 kg of cow ghee daily for laddu preparation, with AR Foods from Tamil Nadu winning a tender at Rs 320 per kg. On July 8, eight tankers of ghee were delivered, and four were sent for testing. Subsequent lab reports from July 17 confirmed the detection of impurities in the ghee.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the breadth of the violations and hold those responsible accountable.
