The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu ghee adulteration case has arrested Delhi-based chemical trader Ajay Kumar Sugandha for his alleged role in supplying chemicals used to prepare fake ghee.
Identified as A-16 in the case, Ajay Kumar reportedly worked with Bholebaba Dairy directors Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain for several years, providing key chemical components used to adulterate ghee supplied to the TTD under private dairy labels.
According to SIT officials, the trader had been supplying monoglycerides, acetic acid, and esters, substances used in palm oil processing, to Bholebaba Dairy for nearly seven years. These chemicals, imported from South Korea and distributed through a Delhi-based network, were bought under Ajay Kumar’s company name and forwarded to the dairy’s production units.
Investigators allege that the adulterated ghee, created by blending palm oil with chemical agents to mimic pure ghee’s texture and aroma, was distributed under the brand names Vaishnavi and AR Dairy, and later used in the sacred Tirupati laddus.
The SIT’s investigation has uncovered that more than 90 per cent of the ghee used in the preparation of the famous Tirupati laddus had been mixed with palm oil and chemical additives.
Laboratory tests conducted by forensic teams confirmed the presence of synthetic compounds inconsistent with dairy-based ghee. The findings point towards a long-running supply chain fraud involving multiple intermediaries across states.
The scandal came to light in September 2024, when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous government of allowing the use of adulterated ghee containing animal fat in TTD laddu production. The revelations sparked public outrage and prompted the state to form an SIT under court supervision to probe the matter.
Ajay Kumar was detained in Delhi three days ago and later brought to Tirupati for interrogation at the SIT office. Investigators collected financial records and correspondence allegedly linking him to the supply of the chemicals.
He was produced before the Nellore ACB Court, which remanded him to judicial custody until 21 November.
Meanwhile, the SIT continues to trace the wider network of suppliers and financial backers involved in the adulteration racket, which has raised serious questions about quality control and religious food sanctity at one of India’s most revered temples.
Source: News18