Police get 5-day custody of Laddu case accused
The four accused, who are in judicial custody, now will be taken for police custody for 5-days from February 14-18
Tirupati: A Tirupati court has granted five-day police custody for four individuals accused in the adulterated ghee case linked to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
The Second Additional District Magistrate court approved the custody request on Thursday after reviewing the arguments presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation-led Special Investigation Team (SIT). The accused - Rajasekaran, Pomil Jain, Vipin Jain, and Apoorva Vinaykant Chawda - are currently in judicial custody at Tirupati sub-jail as investigations continue.
The SIT had sought custody to further probe whether the accused acted independently or as part of a larger network. Their request was filed on Tuesday, while defense lawyers sought additional time to submit counter arguments on Wednesday. Following a hearing on Thursday, the court ruled in favour of police custody for five days from February 14 to 18. The investigation has uncovered a deep-rooted conspiracy involving three dairies—AR Dairy from Tamil Nadu, Vaishnavi Dairy from Tirupati, and Bhole Baba Dairy from Uttarakhand.
The accused allegedly manipulated TTD’s ghee supply tenders through fraudulent means. Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, associated with Bhole Baba Dairy, were previously disqualified from TTD contracts in 2019 and 2022 for providing substandard ghee. In response, they acquired shares in Vaishnavi Dairy and collaborated with AR Dairy through Apoorva Chawda, ultimately securing the 2024 tender using forged documents.
The SIT found that Vaishnavi Dairy functioned as an intermediary, channelling ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy to TTD via AR Dairy. Subsequent testing revealed adulteration with animal fats, triggering a comprehensive investigation. Authorities are also scrutinising local agent PP Srinivasan, who is suspected of facilitating the contracts through falsified paperwork.
As the inquiry progresses, the SIT expects more arrests and is now probing potential internal involvement within TTD. Investigators aim to determine how adulterated ghee evaded quality checks for five years and whether officials deliberately ignored or colluded in the malpractice. Financial records and communications are under examination to identify corruption that may have jeopardised the sanctity of the sacred laddus.
The case has also led to a search for Sabbi Kalimulla Khan, plant CEO of Vaishnavi Dairy, who allegedly orchestrated the re-supply of rejected ghee tankers to TTD in June 2024 before going into hiding as the SIT intensified its probe. Meanwhile, investigators are questioning why procurement regulations for the laddus’ ghee supply were eased and how TTD managed to purchase ghee at lower-than-market prices, raising concerns about quality compromises.
Officials suspect that financial inducements or political pressure from previous government authorities may have influenced procurement decisions. The SIT is also analysing discrepancies in supplied ghee quantities, with variations of 2,000 to 3,000 kg per tanker between records submitted to TTD and logs maintained by the dairy. Given these inconsistencies, the SIT plans to interrogate former TTD officials and governing board members to establish accountability in the case.
