Laddu Ghee Scam: SIT Focus on Masterminds; More Summons and Arrests Soon
SIT to summon 12 individuals linked to Tirumala temple, with three arrests imminent; investigators probe procedural lapses in quality checks.
Tirupati: The CBI team probing the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the TTD temple’s Laddu prasadam preparations has identified the scam’s masterminds.
Sources associated with the central special investigation team said the SIT is expected to summon 12 individuals linked to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. These include officials and others associated with the religious entity.
Notices are being prepared to summon two suspects for questioning, while three others are likely to be arrested. The investigation is expected to continue for another three months.
On Friday last, SIT secured the custody of AR Dairy MD Rajasekaran, Bholebaba directors Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, and Vaishnavi Dairy’s Vinaykant Chawda. Interrogations continued under the supervision of CBI joint director Veeresh Prabhu and DIG Murali Ramba. The investigators observed that the suspects provided similar responses, raising suspicions of planning.
Sources said the suspects were on the defensive but often raised counter-questions. When officials asked why AR Dairy did not receive official communication on the rejection of four ghee tankers in July due to quality issues, its MD claimed that the company never supplied ghee to TTD.
He stated that Vaishnavi Dairy representatives verbally informed them about the rejection and that the tankers in question never returned to AR Dairy. They were instead diverted to Vaishnavi Dairy before supplying the ghee TTD via Bholebaba Dairy.
Meanwhile, a meeting was convened at the SIT office in Tirupati. CBI officials reviewed the progress of the investigation. The team examined possible links to individuals across various TTD departments, including the governing board, the administrative staff, the marketing division, procurement teams, technical committees, laboratory officials and vigilance personnel.
CBI sleuths suspect that some of these individuals played a significant role in the scam.
According to sources, the SIT would issue summons to a former senior TTD officer and a member of the TTD's previous trust board. Additionally, investigators are considering the immediate arrest of three suspects. The team is paying special attention to procedural lapses in the lab testing process that seemingly allowed the substandard ghee to pass through official channels without detection.