Ghee adulteration issue: TTD Chairman seeks deeper SIT probe into money trail

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board Chairman B. R. Naidu has said that the final charge sheet filed in court by the Special Investigation Team led by the Central Bureau of Investigation has clearly indicted the erstwhile trust board for malpractices in the ghee procurement process.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he stated that the SIT probe was not yet comprehensive or conclusive and appealed to the investigating agency to carry out a thorough inquiry into the alleged financial transactions involving crores of rupees credited into certain bank accounts. Though the SIT had traced the money trail up to a certain level, Mr. Naidu said the investigation should be extended further to identify the key beneficiaries behind the alleged irregularities.

Condemning attempts to mislead devotees by claiming that the accused had received a clean chit, he said the charge sheet had clearly established that a synthetic substance was procured in the name of ghee and used in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala Laddus offered as Naivedyam at the Sri Venkateswara temple.

The irregularities pointed out by the SIT included relaxation of tender conditions to favour select firms, while contracts were awarded to companies that lacked the required capacity and infrastructure, he observed. During the previous regime, about 60 lakh kg of synthetic ghee, valued at nearly ₹250 crore, was procured for the preparation of Laddu Prasadam, he said, adding that laboratory reports submitted by the National Dairy Development Board confirmed the presence of animal fat in some of the samples tested.

“The ghee supplied during the previous tenure contained hazardous substances, including certain lethal chemicals that could adversely affect human health. Some dairies were hand-picked purely for commission-driven motives,” Mr. Naidu alleged.

Citing statistics based on ghee procurement over a five-year period, he said nearly 20 crore Laddus were prepared using the adulterated ghee. This, he said, amounted not only to a grave desecration of the sanctity of Tirumala, but also posed a serious health risk to devotees who consumed the Prasadam. Responding to media queries, he demanded micro DNA testing to conclusively establish the quantity and origin of the ghee used.