Tirupati Laddu Row: The CBI investigation team on Monday arrested four individuals in connection with the hyped Tirupati Mandir Laddu case. The action was taken after the probe revealed that several violations had taken place in the process of Ghee supply, adding that the rules were violated at every step.
TDP state police on Monday stated that the action was taken against the employees of prominent milk product suppliers. While providing details, it said that the individuals were arrested from organisations, including AR Dairy (Tamil Nadu), Parag Dairy (Uttar Pradesh), Premier Agri Foods, and Alpha Milk Foods.
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It stated that the representatives of Vaishnavi Dairy secured tenders in the name of AR Dairy for ghee supply. The Vaishnavi Dairy later fabricated false documents and seals. They had used the AR Dairy name to even manipulate the whole tender process. The police further informed that Vaishnavi Dairy created fake records and claimed that it had sourced ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy in Roorkee.
A massive row started in July 2024 when the lab tests revealed the presence of foreign fats in the ghee supplied by AR Dairy Foods. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) later dismissed the contract of AR Dairy Foods, citing the irregularities in the products. The TTD had later provided the contract to the Karnataka Milk Federation.
A political row escalated after the lab reports released by the Andhra Pradesh government on September 19 stated that the ghee supplied to the mandir during the YSRCP regime had contained elements of foreign fats.
The report stated that the ghee had elements of fats such as lard (pig fat), tallow (beef fat), and fish oil, in addition to vegetable fats from sources like coconut, linseed, rapeseed, and cottonseed. The tests were conducted after several of the devotees complained about the change in the taste of the Laddus served at the temple.