- By Shibra Arshad
- Mon, 10 Nov 2025 04:09 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Tirupati Laddu Row: In a high-profile food adulteration case, which triggered political, legal and socio-cultural uproar in Andhra Pradesh, a Rs 50 lakh money trail has been uncovered. The case revolves around adulterated ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam to make the Srivari laddu. The Srivari laddu is a famous 'prasad' distributed to the devotees and pilgrims who visit the famous temple.
The reported Rs 50 lakh laddu scandal involves K Chinnappanna, personal assistant to YV Subba Reddy, a Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party and a former TTD Chairman. According to a report by NDTV, Chinnapanna allegedly received the cash from a hawala agent connected to Uttar Pradesh-based Premier Agri Foods Pvt Ltd.
According to sources, Chinnapanna received Rs 20 lakh from a Delhi-based agent, Aman Gupta, and the remaining amount was provided to him by the Senior Executive of Premier Agri Foods Pvt Ltd, Vijay Gupta, the report mentioned. Both transactions were made in Delhi, near Patel Nagar Metro Station.
A massive row occurred at the famous Tirupati Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh after it was alleged that the sacred 'prasad', which was laddu, was made in adulterated Ghee made with animal fats.
With the escalating political row, several politicians made remarks, but the row was downplayed by the Supreme Court of India after it ordered a joint investigation, with officers drawn from the CBI, the state police force, and food safety officials.
What Probe Report Revealed About Ghee Adulteration
As per the report produced after the investigation, it was disclosed that four dairies supplying ghee to the temple had manipulated documents and prices to win tenders. Investigators found that 60.37 lakh kg of adulterated ghee, i.e., mixed with foreign particles, worth Rs 240.8 crore, reached the TTD.
It was also indicated that, despite a 2022 report by the Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute, the supply of ghee continued till 2024.
Chandrababu Naidu publicly claimed that the ghee made with animal fat had been used in making laddus during the previous administration, when Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSCRP was in power.