Key Update

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has exposed a massive ghee adulteration racket linked to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Investigators found that Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, based in Bhagawanpur, Uttarakhand, supplied 68 lakh kg of fake ghee worth ₹250 crore to the temple trust between 2019 and 2024 — even though the company never procured or processed milk or butter.

The CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed that TTD had contracted the dairy, run by Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, to supply ghee used in preparing the temple’s sacred laddu prasadam.

Investigators Find Forged Records and Chemical Adulteration

Investigators discovered that Bhole Baba Organic Dairy functioned as a bogus ghee unit that forged milk procurement and payment records to appear legitimate. The SIT stated that the promoters used industrial chemicals—including monodiglycerides and acetic acid ester—to mimic the texture and aroma of pure ghee. The CBI intensified its probe after arresting Delhi-based businessman Ajay Kumar Sugandh, owner of Sugandh Oil & Chemicals, who allegedly supplied these chemicals to Bhole Baba Organic Dairy.

According to the remand report, Sugandh’s firm disguised the chemicals as edible oils—labelled as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil—to avoid detection. The SIT called Sugandh’s arrest a crucial development, noting that he might influence or threaten witnesses, and requested his judicial custody “in the interest of justice.”

Blacklisted Dairy Continued Supply Through Front Companies

Even after TTD blacklisted Bhole Baba in 2022, the promoters allegedly continued the adulteration by routing supplies through other dairies — including Vyshnavi Dairy (Tirupati), Mal Ganga Dairy (Uttar Pradesh), and AR Dairy Foods (Tamil Nadu). The SIT found that TTD had rejected four tankers of ghee in July 2024 after tests confirmed the presence of animal fat. Despite the rejection, the same group resupplied the adulterated ghee through Vyshnavi Dairy under a new label.

Rejected Stock Reprocessed, Relabeled, and Sent Back to TTD

During a joint inspection by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the SIT at AR Dairy’s Dindigul plant, officials discovered that the rejected ghee never reached the facility. Instead, the tankers had been diverted to a local stone-crushing unit near Vyshnavi Dairy, where workers reprocessed and refined the stock to make it appear pure.

The investigation further revealed that in August 2024, Vyshnavi Dairy rebranded, relabeled, and resupplied the same adulterated ghee to the temple trust after altering its texture and consistency.

Adulterated Ghee Used in Temple Offerings

The SIT confirmed that TTD unknowingly used the adulterated ghee in the preparation of the Tirupati Laddu prasadams, distributed to millions of devotees visiting the temple every year. The findings have raised serious questions about food safety monitoring, supplier verification, and procurement oversight in one of India’s most revered religious institutions.

Source: Economic Times 

Mathrubhumi