Tirumala Ghee Adulteration Case: SIT completes probe, files final chargesheet

Tirupati: After an investigation spanning more than a year and stretching across a dozen states, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its final charge sheet in the Nellore ACB Court on Friday in the case involving the supply of spurious ghee allegedly used in making the Tirumala Srivari laddus.

The filing marks the culmination of a nearly 15-month probe that underwent a major transition midway. What began as a state-appointed SIT inquiry was later taken over by a five-member team led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following directions from the Supreme Court.

In the run-up to the completion of the investigation, CBI joint director Veeresh Prabhu visited the SIT office in Tirupati earlier this month. During the visit, he conducted a detailed scrutiny of case records and held extensive deliberations with senior officers to evaluate investigative progress and the robustness of the legal evidence.

The investigation eventually zeroed in on Uttarakhand-based Bhole Baba Organic Dairy as the hub of the alleged operation. The SIT identified the firm’s directors, Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, as the principal architects of the conspiracy. According to investigators, the supply network extended through multiple firms and individuals across Andhra Pradesh and several other States.

In the charge sheet filed on Friday, 36 individuals have been formally accused. It filed the preliminary charge sheet in May 2025 accusing 24 persons. Later it filed a memo stating the role of 12 others. Significantly, TTD general manager Pralaya Kaveri Murali Krishna, the original complainant in the case, was also named as an accused. Among the accused, former TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy’s PA Chinna Appanna’s name was also there.

However, the names of several big personalities, who were questioned by the SIT during the investigation were not there in the charge sheet which gives speculation of filing supplementary charge sheets in due course.

Initially, investigators believed the adulterated ghee originated in Tamil Nadu. However, deeper scrutiny of procurement trails and logistics exposed Uttarakhand as the primary source of the counterfeit product. The probe team comprised senior CBI officers supported by around 30 personnel from the state police.

Officials examined procurement documents, laboratory test reports and financial records to reconstruct the supply chain. The inquiry focused on the sourcing of raw materials, payment flows linked to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), and the manner in which the substandard ghee allegedly cleared procurement checks and reached Tirumala. Allegations of procedural violations and bribery were also part of the investigation.

As per evidence placed before the court, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy and related entities are accused of supplying nearly 68 lakh kilograms of fake ghee between 2019 and 2024, with transactions estimated at around Rs 250 crore.

Investigators said laboratory findings and procurement data showed that the product was manufactured using palm oil and hydrogenated fats, mixed with chemicals and additives to mimic the appearance and texture of pure ghee. It was also alleged that standard quality tests were tampered with to conceal the adulteration.