SIT Arrests Tirupati Temple Official After Investigation Reveals 68 Lakh Kg Adulterated Ghee
TTD Executive Engineer arrested as SIT uncovers massive ghee adulteration affecting nearly 40% of temple laddus.
A senior official from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) was arrested on Thursday in connection with the high-profile adulterated ghee scandal involving the sacred Srivari laddus offered at the Sri Venkateswara Temple. TTD Executive Engineer Subramanyam, who previously served as the General Manager of TTD Marketing, was taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and subsequently underwent medical examinations at Ruia Hospital in Tirupati. This marks the 10th arrest in the probe, which has exposed systemic lapses in procurement and quality control during the previous YSRCP government's tenure from 2019 to 2024.
The scandal erupted earlier this year when a laboratory report, revealed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu after the TDP's return to power, confirmed the use of adulterated ghee in laddu preparation—a staple prasadum distributed to millions of devotees annually. The temple produces around 4 lakh laddus daily, requiring 12,000-13,000 kg of ghee, and investigations found that nearly 40% of the 48.76 crore laddus made between 2019 and 2024—approximately 20 crore units—contained substandard ingredients like palm oil, palm kernel oil, and chemical additives. The SIT's findings have shocked devotees and prompted widespread outrage over the desecration of a revered tradition.
TTD's procurement records during the period show payments of nearly Rs 250 crore to four major dairy suppliers: Bhole Baba Dairy in Uttarakhand, AR Dairy in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, Vaishnavi Dairy in Punnabakalu near Tirupati, and Malganga Dairies in Uttar Pradesh. From these vendors, the board sourced about 1.61 crore kg of ghee, of which 68 lakh kg was deemed adulterated based on forensic tests. The SIT has traced a suspicious Rs 50 lakh money trail linked to these transactions, raising questions about kickbacks and collusion. Recent interrogations included a visit to the Hyderabad residence of former TTD chairman and YSRCP MP Y.V. Subba Reddy, whose personal assistant Chinna Appanna was among those already arrested.
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The case underscores broader governance failures in temple administration and has fueled political tensions between the TDP-led coalition and the opposition YSRCP, with accusations of deliberate oversight to favor private suppliers. Devotees have expressed dismay, with isolated complaints emerging of foreign objects like cockroaches found in laddus, though TTD officials have denied systemic issues in current production. As the SIT continues its probe, enhanced quality audits and supplier blacklisting are underway to restore faith in the temple's offerings.
