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The SIT discovered that large-scale adulteration was common in the Tirupati ladoo prasadam, said sources
The primary accused, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, allegedly never procured milk or butter. Instead, it operated a shell unit that manufactured synthetic ghee using vegetable oils. (File image: X)
The Tirupati Special Investigation Team (SIT) is ready to file its chargesheet in the Ladoo Prasadam case. Top sources within the SIT informed CNN-News18 that the chargesheet could be filed within the next 10 days.
Massive Adulteration Found
After its investigation, the SIT discovered that large-scale adulteration was common in the Tirupati ladoo prasadam. “Almost 80 per cent of the ingredient was chemical. Barely any ghee was used,” a source familiar with the final report told CNN-News18.
However, the source clarified that no evidence was found to support the charge of animal fat or waste being used to make the ladoos. “The SIT carried out a scientific probe, including DNA tests, but no evidence was found to support the animal fat adulteration claim,” the source said.
The Conspiracy
The probe, according to sources, revealed that fake ghee was supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for over five years between 2019 and 2024. The primary accused, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, allegedly never procured milk or butter. Instead, it operated a shell unit that manufactured synthetic ghee using vegetable oils.
The adulterated ghee was indicated to be a mixture of palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palmolein. To mimic the texture, aroma, and chemical parameters of pure ghee and pass lab tests, they added industrial chemicals. A Delhi-based chemical trader, Ajay Kumar Sugandha, has been arrested on charges of providing chemicals that were allegedly used to adulterate the prasadam.
Approximately 68 lakh kilograms of this adulterated ghee, worth roughly 250 crore, was supplied to the temple trust, according to investigators. The suppliers reportedly manipulated chemical values to evade detection during quality control tests. Even after being blacklisted by TTD in 2022, the dairy allegedly continued to supply the adulterated product through proxy dairies and other suppliers. “The rot ran so deep that even rejected samples were brought back through circuitous routes and became part of the final supply chain,” an official told CNN-News18.
Top Officials of TTD Could Be Named
The SIT investigation suggests a nexus between the suppliers and TTD officials. Suppliers allegedly paid bribes in gold coins, high-end mobile phones, and luxury goods apart from cash. The then GM procurement, executive engineers, and personal staff of the TTD board are likely to be named in the chargesheet. Investigators believe that these officials, in return for kickbacks, approved substandard supplies and overlooked quality failures.
The SIT is also likely to recommend to the state government a full audit of all temples where the accused dairies supply raw material for prasadam.
January 22, 2026, 6:43 PM IST
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