Andhra: SIT Detains Four in Tirumala Laddu Adulteration Scandal
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Synopsis
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), established under the Supreme Court's orders, apprehended four individuals in connection with the alleged adulteration of sacred laddu from the Tirumala temple. The accused are linked to various dairy suppliers and have faced accusations of manipulating tender processes.
Key Takeaways
- Four individuals arrested in Tirumala laddu adulteration case.
- Accused linked to multiple dairy suppliers.
- Evidence of fraudulent tender manipulation discovered.
- SIT includes officials from both central and state agencies.
- Laboratory tests confirmed ghee adulteration.
Tirupati, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Special Investigation Team (SIT), established under the directive of the Supreme Court, has taken into custody four individuals linked to the suspected adulteration of the revered laddu from the Tirumala Temple.
The detained individuals are associated with companies responsible for supplying ghee, including AR Dairy (Tamil Nadu), Parag Dairy (Uttar Pradesh), Premier Agri Foods, and Alpha Milk Foods.
The arrested are Bipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy (Roorkee, Uttarakhand), Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy (Poonambakkam), and Raju Rajasekharan, MD of AR Dairy (Dundigal).
Despite being questioned for three consecutive days in Tirupati, the suspects displayed a lack of cooperation, even in light of initial evidence linking them to the crime.
The team executed inspections at locations including Tirumala, Tirupati, and the AR Dairy facility located in Tamil Nadu.
AR Dairy, which held a contract with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), has been implicated in various irregularities.
An official statement revealed that representatives from Vaishnavi Dairy had obtained tenders under the name of AR Dairy for ghee supply, fabricating fraudulent documents and seals to manipulate the tendering process.
Fake records were created by Vaishnavi Dairy, falsely claiming that Bhole Baba Dairy had supplied ghee. Investigations showed that Bhole Baba Dairy was incapable of delivering such large quantities.
The SIT includes Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Hyderabad Division Joint Director Viresh Prabhu, Visakha CBI SP Muraliramba, DIG Gopinath Jetty, IG Sarvashrestha Tripathi, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officer Satyakumar Panda.
On September 18, 2024, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ghee used for preparing Tirupati laddu during the YSR Congress Party governance was contaminated with animal fat, igniting outrage among the temple's devotees.
In response, the state government formed a SIT to investigate the claims, which was later replaced by a SIT that included both central and state officials.
The TTD utilizes 15,000 kg of cow ghee daily for the production of Tirumala laddus.
As per officials, AR Foods from Tamil Nadu won a tender to provide ghee at Rs. 320 per kg. On July 8, 2024, eight tankers of ghee were delivered, four of which were sent for laboratory testing.
On July 17, laboratory results from NDDB confirmed the presence of impure substances in the ghee.
