Sun Nov 09 15:21:53 UTC 2025: ## News Article: Adulterated Ghee Scandal Rocks Tirumala Temple
TIRUPATI – November 9, 2025: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under CBI supervision has uncovered a shocking scandal involving the supply of adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the governing body of the famed Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala. Investigations reveal that the TTD unknowingly received adulterated ghee for over five years, from 2019 to 2024.
The arrest of Ajay Kumar Sugandh, implicated in the case, has exposed the elaborate scheme orchestrated by Bhole Baba Dairy, a supplier contracted by the TTD. The SIT’s report to the ACB Court in Nellore details how the dairy, based in Uttarakhand, supplied an estimated 6.8 million kilograms of spurious ghee worth ₹250 crore, despite never procuring milk or butter.
The dairy allegedly used chemicals like monodiglycerides and acetic acid ester, sourcing palm oil and kernel oil from a Delhi-based importer under the guise of Harsh Fresh Dairy. Fabricated milk procurement records further solidify the accusations.
The investigation has also revealed that Bhole Baba Dairy strategically used acetic acid esters, purchased from Ajay Sugandh for ₹7 crore between 2022 and 2024, to manipulate adulteration tests conducted by the TTD’s quality control team.
Adding insult to injury, even after being blacklisted by the TTD in 2022, Bhole Baba Dairy continued its fraudulent activities by channeling supplies through other dairies, including Vyshnavi Dairy of Tirupati, Mal Ganga Dairy of Uttar Pradesh, and AR Dairy Foods of Tamil Nadu.
The SIT investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to identify all individuals involved in this disturbing breach of trust and religious sanctity. The implications for the TTD and the millions of devotees who rely on the purity of offerings at the temple are significant.
First Piper 