Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration: Blacklisted firm supplied contaminated ghee through proxies

A blacklisted dairy firm allegedly supplied adulterated ghee for the preparation of the famous Tirupati laddu prasadam by using proxy companies, according to the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) remand report filed in court.

Fraudulent Supply Chain Exposed

The report, submitted on Sunday, revealed that Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Pvt Ltd, disqualified and blacklisted by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in 2022, continued to supply ghee through its proxies—Vaishnavi Dairy and AR Dairy. The TTD, which manages the Lord Venkateswara Temple, requires 15,000 kilograms of ghee daily for its laddu prasadam.

The SIT’s report implicates four accused individuals: Pomil Jain and Bipin Jain (former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy), Apurva Vinay Kant Chawda (CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy, Poonambakkam), and Raju Rajasekharan (MD of AR Dairy, Dindigul).

Blacklisted But Still in Business

Bhole Baba Dairy originally supplied ghee at ₹291 per kg in 2019. However, after an inspection in 2022, TTD found the company’s manufacturing practices unsatisfactory, leading to its disqualification from further tenders.

Despite this, the company continued supplying ghee through its proxies. Vaishnavi Dairy secured a tender in 2020, while AR Dairy allegedly used fabricated documents to win a contract in March 2024. The remand report claims Bhole Baba Dairy actively assisted its proxies, including document falsification to qualify for bids.

Fabrication and Adulteration

Although AR Dairy was contractually obligated to deliver Agmark-certified ghee, the SIT report states it procured ghee from Vaishnavi Dairy, which in turn sourced it from the blacklisted Bhole Baba Dairy. Furthermore, fabricated documents were allegedly used to pass off substandard and adulterated ghee as Agmark standard.

Political Fallout and Investigation

The case became a major political issue in Andhra Pradesh, with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) accusing the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government of compromising the holiness of the temple offerings. The TDP government had previously alleged that the laddus were adulterated with animal fat.

To address the scandal, a five-member probe team—comprising two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh government officials, and one Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officer—is investigating the matter.

With religious sentiments at stake, the TTD and authorities are under pressure to ensure strict action against those responsible for tampering with one of the most revered temple offerings in India.