Hyderabad: The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the CBI, has completed its probe into the alleged adulteration of ghee used in Tirumala Srivari laddus and filed a final charge sheet in the Nellore ACB Court on Friday. The investigation spanned 15 months and covered 12 states.
The SIT identified Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, directors of Uttar Pradesh-based Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, as the key masterminds behind the organised adulteration racket. Investigators uncovered large-scale chemical adulteration and suspicious financial transactions linked to temple supplies, even though the initial trail led to Tamil Nadu.
36 accused named, several in custody
The charge sheet lists 36 accused—24 initially and 12 added later. All have been arrested, with three currently in judicial custody after being denied bail. Several senior Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials, including two former General Managers from the procurement and marketing wings, are also charged.
They are lodged in Nellore Central Jail along with other staff members. Former TTD chairman’s aide Chinna Appanna and Ajay Kumar Suigandh remain in custody as proceedings continue.
Serious lapses in ghee quality control
The SIT report points to serious lapses in ghee quality control, alleging that private dairies bypassed mandatory TTD standards. Some dairy owners have secured conditional bail but are required to cooperate with ongoing investigations.
Investigators also revealed that between 2019 and 2024, suppliers manufactured ghee without procuring any milk, raising serious questions about regulatory oversight.
Adulteration details
According to the probe, Pomil and Vipin Jain produced adulterated ghee at their facility in Bhagwanpur near Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Instead of pure cow ghee, the accused allegedly used palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein sourced from Budge Budge Co. Ltd., Kolkata.
These were mixed with small quantities of genuine ghee and chemicals such as beta-carotene, acetic acid ester and synthetic ghee flavour to mimic aroma and evade laboratory detection. The SIT submitted these findings to an Andhra Pradesh court in a remand report following a recent arrest.
Supreme Court constituting the SIT
The Supreme Court constituted the five-member SIT in October 2024 under the supervision of the CBI Director, after the issue triggered a major political controversy. The SIT comprises two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh government officials and one representative from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Political controversy and background
The controversy erupted in 2024 after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu released laboratory reports claiming the presence of foreign fats, including traces of animal fat, in the ghee supplied for Tirumala laddus. The SIT’s findings have since confirmed large-scale adulteration, implicating both private suppliers and TTD officials in negligence or complicity.