Tirupati Laddu Scandal: CBI Arrests Four Over Adulteration Allegations

Tirupati: A special investigation team led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four accused in connection with the alleged adulteration of the famous Tirupati laddus offered as ‘Prasadam’ to devotees at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple. The arrested accused 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.

According to officials, the SIT probe revealed serious violations at every step of ghee supply, leading to the arrests. The investigation found that Vaishnavi Dairy officials secured tenders under the name of AR Dairy to supply ghee to the temple and created fake records to manipulate the tender process. Furthermore, Vaishnavi Dairy falsely claimed that it sourced ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy, despite the latter not having the capacity to meet the temple's demand.

The CBI set up a five-member SIT in November last year to investigate the allegations of the use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus, as ordered by the Supreme Court. The team comprises two officers from the central agency, two from Andhra Pradesh Police, and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu had alleged in September that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime in the state, sparking a massive political row.