Tirumala Laddu Scam: SIT Records Statement of YV Subba Reddy for Eight Hours
SIT questions former TTD chairman in ghee case.
The Supreme Court-appointed Joint Special Investigation Team dramatically escalated the Tirumala laddu ghee adulteration probe on Thursday by questioning former TTD chairman and senior YSRCP Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy for over eight hours at his Hyderabad residence, marking the first time a high-ranking political figure has been formally interrogated in the high-profile case.
A high-level SIT team comprising an Additional Superintendent of Police, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Circle Inspectors arrived at Subba Reddy’s residence early Thursday morning and recorded his detailed statement in the presence of his legal counsel. The marathon session, which continued until 8 pm, focused primarily on the controversial decision by the TTD Board during his tenure to accept ghee tankers despite the Central Food Technology Research Institute in Mysuru having already detected adulterants in five separate samples.
Investigators pressed Subba Reddy on the precise role played by his close aide Chinna Appanna, listed as Accused No 24, who was taken into custody days earlier after the SIT questioned former TTD Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy. Sources revealed that statements given by Appanna during intense interrogation directly implicated connections with Premiere Dairy, a supplier previously blacklisted for delivering adulterated ghee, prompting the team to seek clarifications from the former chairman.
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The questioning followed a formal online notice issued to Subba Reddy fifteen days ago, to which he responded before agreeing to the in-person session. The recorded statement is expected to form a crucial part of the evidence chain as the SIT prepares to file a supplementary charge sheet before the Nellore ACB Court by December 15, potentially naming more high-profile individuals linked to the multi-crore procurement scam.
Meanwhile in Tirupati, the SIT continued its fourth consecutive day of grilling Chinna Appanna at the Alipiri office while separate teams pursued leads in Chennai and Delhi regarding the alleged creation of fake invoices worth ₹140 crore by Delhi-based traders Aajya Kumar Suganda and Guptha. With every new revelation, the once-sacred laddu controversy has evolved into one of the biggest political and religious scandals in Andhra Pradesh’s recent history.
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