Tirupati Ghee Scam: CBI Exposes Rs 250 Cr Adulteration

In a shocking revelation, the CBI’s special investigation team has uncovered a large-scale ghee fraud involving the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Between 2019 and 2024, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, based in Uttarakhand, supplied around 68 lakh kilograms of ghee worth Rs 250 crore to the TTD, without ever sourcing a single drop of milk or butter.

Investigators found that the dairy, managed by promoters Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, created fake procurement and payment records to project massive ghee production. The scheme came to light during a probe into alleged adulteration of ghee used in the temple’s iconic Tirupati Laddu prasadams.

The investigation intensified following the arrest of supplier Ajay Kumar Sugandh, who allegedly provided chemicals like monodiglycerides and acetic acid ester to Bhole Baba Dairy. Despite being blacklisted by the TTD in 2022, the promoters continued their operations using alternate fronts, routing ghee through multiple dairies including Vyshnavi Dairy in Tirupati, Mal Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, and AR Dairy Foods from Tamil Nadu.

In one alarming instance, four containers of ghee adulterated with animal fat, initially rejected by the TTD in July 2024, were found to have re-entered the supply chain. The tanks were diverted to a nearby stone-crushing unit rather than returning to AR Dairy’s Dindigul plant. Vyshnavi Dairy allegedly relabelled and refined the ghee before dispatching it again to the TTD.

The CBI report directly links these adulterated supplies to the preparation of Tirupati Laddu prasadams, raising serious concerns about quality control in one of India’s most revered religious offerings.

This revelation highlights the vulnerabilities in supply chain oversight and the need for stricter monitoring to ensure the integrity of temple offerings and public trust.