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The CBI arrested four individuals in connection with the case involving the adulteration of ghee used in Tirupati laddoo prasadam.
Tirupati Laddoo Row: Four arrested in ghee adulteration case | Image/CNN-News18
Tirupati Laddoo Row: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested four individuals in connection with the case involving the adulteration of ghee used in Tirupati laddoo prasadam.
The development comes after a Supreme Court order in October last year, directing a CBI-monitored SIT investigation into allegations of adulterated ghee being used in the laddoo distributed at the Tirupati temple.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy (Roorkee, Uttarakhand), Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy (Poonambakkam), and Raju Rajasekharan, MD of AR Dairy (Dundigal).
The officials said that the accused, interrogated for three days in Tirupati, were found to be uncooperative despite primary evidence of their involvement in the ghee adulteration case.
An investigation revealed multiple violations under the guise of supplying ghee, including using fake documents and seals to win tenders.
Vaishnavi Dairy allegedly manipulated records, claiming to supply ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy despite the latter’s inability to meet the demand. The inquiry found discrepancies in the supply and false documentation, the officials said.
The investigation team involved a special team set up by the Supreme Court, including CBI and Andhra Pradesh government officials, as well as representatives from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Tirupati Laddoo Row
The entire controversy erupted in September last year when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime in the state.
Reacting to Naidu’s allegations, the YSR Congress Party accused him of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains, while the ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state circulated a laboratory report to back its claim.
As part of the investigation, the SIT verified the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) records about ghee procurement during the previous regime and the process of accepting the quality and receiving the commodity.
- Location :
Andhra Pradesh, India, India
