Amid Tirumala Laddu Row, Andhra Government Suspends TTD Official

Amid the controversy over Tirumala laddu issue, the Andhra Pradesh government has transferred IAS officer and Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal.

According to an official statement, IAS officer and Executive

Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Anil Kumar Singhal, was transferred out and directed to hand over the charge to Venkaiah Chowdary, IRS, Additional Executive Officer, TTD, and to report to the General Administration Department.

Senior IAS officer M Ravichandra who is Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been given full additional charge as Executive Officer of TTD.

Singhal was appointed TTD EO on September 10, 2025.

“Muddada Ravichandra, IAS (1996), Special Chief Secretary to Chief Minister is placed in full additional charge of the post of Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and he is requested to take charge as E.O., TTD expeditiously,” it stated.

The controversy erupted in 2024 when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan claimed that the laddoos offered at the Tirumala Venkateswara temple had been adulterated with “animal fat”.

Also Read: TDP Slams ‘False Narrative’ On Tirumala Laddu Issue, Backs CM Naidu’s Statement

Following petitions and mounting concerns, the Supreme Court intervened in October 2024, leading to the formation of a CBI Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.

According to the chargesheet, while the ghee used in laddu preparation was indeed adulterated, the contamination did not involve animal-derived substances.

Instead, investigators found that vegetable oils and chemical esters were used to simulate the physical and chemical properties of pure dairy ghee, enabling the adulterated product to pass routine quality checks.

Also Read: CBI Chargesheet Says No Beef Tallow Or Lard In Tirupati Laddoos; YSRCP Demands CM Naidu’s Apology

Investigators clarified that deviations in the “S-value”, which had earlier been cited as evidence of animal fat usage, were the result of vegetable oils and chemical additives, not animal tissue.

Following the findings, the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has demanded an apology from Chief Minister Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

The CBI has named 36 accused in what it describes as a coordinated conspiracy to supply adulterated ghee to TTD.

YSRCP Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy said the earlier claims amounted to “false propaganda” and accused the ruling leaders of politicising a sacred religious institution.

Meanwhile, the TDP claimed that a July 2024 test report by the National Dairy Development Board’s CALF laboratory clearly confirmed the presence of animal fat and vegetable oil in the ghee supplied for Tirumala laddus.

The TDP further highlighted that the same NDDB-CALF report has been explicitly cited in the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.