Vijayawada: R Rajasekharan, the managing director of AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd, the firm facing allegations of supplying adulterated ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), moved the high court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail. TTD has lodged a complaint with Tirupati police, and an FIR was registered on the allegations. Later, a special investigation team (SIT), appointed by the state govt, took over the investigation.
Rajasekharan contended that the samples collected by TTD from its tankers were not in accordance with the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) Act.He stated that only a food safety officer is authorised to draw samples, which must be analysed by a food analyst. Despite the availability of a food safety officer, the TTD did not make a request to him for drawing the samples.
Though section 40 of FSSA Act provides that a purchaser can also send food samples for analysis, it must be informed to the seller, and the same was not adhered to by the TTD, stated Rajasekharan. He also pointed out the contradicting reports given by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Calf and the conspicuous silence of TTD on the second report, which stated that the samples comply with the requirements of specifications of FSSAI for tester parameters.
Rajasekharan further argued that the disclaimer given by NDDB itself acknowledged that a false positive may occur under specific conditions, which highlights the inconclusiveness of the test results. However, without challenging the credibility of the NDDB report, Rajasekharan contended non-compliance with procedures prescribed under the FSSA Act. He also denied the allegations of guilty intention in quoting a low price by arguing that he is a devout Hindu and motivated by a genuine desire to serve Lord Balaji without any profit motive.
Pointing out that the sections included in the FIR against him prima facie do not make out a case and hence are not applicable to the alleged offence, he alleged that the case was a result of political motivation and the timing and nature of the case indicate that the FIR was registered to serve political interests. Taking a ground of violation of principles of natural justice, as he was not accorded the opportunity to give an explanation to the allegations, balance of convenience, and irreparable harm likely to happen in the event of his arrest, he sought the high court to grant anticipatory bail.
