The curtain has finally come down on one of the most disturbing procurement scandals to hit the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, with the CBI-led Special
Investigation Team filing its final chargesheet in the infamous laddu ghee adulteration case. The chargesheet as per reports was submitted before the ACB court in Nellore on Friday, concluding a 15-month-long probe that uncovered what investigators describe as a meticulously planned conspiracy involving dairy firms, middlemen, and senior officials of the Tirupati trust. According to the final findings, as quoted by a Times of India report, an Uttarakhand-based firm, Bhole Baba Dairy, allegedly supplied a staggering 68 lakh kilograms of synthetic and fake ghee to the TTD between 2021 and 2024. The ghee, valued at nearly Rs 250 crore, was supplied without procuring even a single drop of real milk, making it one of the biggest procurement scams ever reported in the TTD’s history. The adulterated ghee was meant for preparing laddus offered at the Tirumala temple, raising serious concerns about sanctity, safety, and institutional oversight. Also Read | The ‘Adulterated’ Story Behind Sweet & Sacred Tirupati Laddu: 500 Crore Business At Stake?
How 68 Lakh Kg of ‘Fake Ghee’ Entered Tirupati’s Laddu Supply Chain
The SIT as per TOI report, named 36 accused in its chargesheet. Nine of them were arrested during different phases of the investigation. Six have since been granted bail, while three remain behind bars, including Delhi-based chemicals supplier Ajay Kumar Sugandh, Chinna Appanna, and former TTD procurement general manager RSSVR Subrahmanyam. The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI-SIT probe into the case in October 2024 after allegations of large-scale adulteration triggered outrage and legal scrutiny.
The investigation team was led by senior officers from multiple agencies, including JD Veeresh Prabhu and DIG Murali Rambha from the CBI, IG Sarvashresth Tripathi and DIG Gopinath Jatti from the Andhra Pradesh police, and Dr Satyen Panda from the FSSAI. They were supported by a 30-member local police team headed by Tirupati additional SP Venkat Rao.
Investigators pieced together a complex modus operandi allegedly devised by Bhole Baba Dairy promoters Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain. The SIT found that the promoters colluded with other dairy operators, including Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy and Tirupati-based Vyshnavi Dairy, while also securing inside help from TTD procurement officials and external dairy experts. This nexus as per TOI report allowed the group to win supply contracts worth several hundred crore rupees and push synthetic ghee into the TTD supply chain unchecked.
The probe also revealed the role of external dairy expert Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, who allegedly provided favourable inspection and quality reports to help Bhole Baba Dairy retain and expand its contracts. In addition to Subrahmanyam, seven other TTD procurement staffers were arraigned for allegedly facilitating the scam.
