Accused remanded to judicial custody till Feb 20th

On September 25 last year, a complaint was registered at the Tirupati East police station, claiming that adulterated ghee had found its way into the sacred process of preparing the beloved Tirumala laddu prasadam during the YSRCP regime

metro india news  I tirupati

In an unexpected twist of events, the Tirumala Srivari Laddu Prasadam case has taken a significant turn, four months after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) took up the inquiry. On Sunday evening, four individuals were arrested making headway in the case. This case has captivated the public's attention.

On September 25 last year, a complaint was registered at the Tirupati East police station, claiming that adulterated ghee had found its way into the sacred process of preparing the beloved Tirumala laddu prasadam during the YSRCP regime. Concern for authenticity in this spiritual offering sparked a thorough investigation led by a newly-formed SIT, with the weight of the Supreme Court’s mandate behind it.

Fast forward to October, when the investigation gained momentum. The Supreme Court directed a team comprising two members from the CBI, two from the Andhra Pradesh Police, and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to delve deeper into the matter.

The latest arrests, a pivotal outcome of the SIT’s relentless scrutiny, have unveiled a disturbing tapestry of deceit. The accused were promptly presented before the residence of the second additional munsif court judge at a late hour, where they were remanded to judicial custody until the 20th of this month. The investigations led to an intriguing discovery: the representatives of Sri Vaishnavi Dairy managed to secure tenders for supplying ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) under the garb of AR Dairy.

Under the supervision of CBI Hyderabad zone's Joint Director, Veeresh Prabhu, the investigation intensified over the past three days, with a spotlight on the drivers and TTD staff associated with Vaishnavi Dairy. Information gathered during interrogations pointed towards upper management in the dairy sector, including Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, directors of Bholebaba Organic Dairy Pvt Ltd, and Apoorva Chavada, CEO of Sri Vaishnavi Dairy Pvt Ltd.

The SIT's findings were nothing short of alarming. It was determined that AR Dairy participated in tenders with falsified documents, shamelessly masquerading under a name that did not reflect the true provider. Evidence revealed that Bholebaba lacked the capacity to produce ghee on a large scale and had been sourcing ghee from alternative suppliers. When confronted by SIT officials about the discrepancies, the dairy representatives offered no satisfactory explanations.

The financial discrepancies paint an even murkier picture. Records indicated that while Sri Vaishnavi Dairy purchased ghee from Bholebaba at Rs 355 per kg, they supplied it to AR Dairy at just Rs 319.80 per kg—a puzzling arrangement that raised questions about possible adulteration. The SIT sought clarity on production capacities and milk sourcing, yet continued to face evasive responses from the dairy representatives.

Amidst all this, the TTD was forced to take a stand. On separate occasions in July, the quality of ghee transported from AR Dairy was found to be substandard and adulterated. Alarm bells rang, leading to samples being sent to the National Dairy Development Board lab in Gujarat for meticulous analysis. Tests revealed ghee contained animal fat. Alarmingly, the SIT discovered that the same tankers bore different invoice numbers, further muddying the waters of accountability.

Faced with mounting evidence, dairy representatives appeared nonchalant, dodging questions about invoices, e-way bills, and toll receipts. Their refusal to cooperate became their undoing, culminating in their arrest by the SIT—an outcome that underscores the importance of transparency and ethics, even in matters steeped in tradition.