Tirupati: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which recently arrested four people in connection with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) adulterated ghee case, has exposed a massive fraud involving adulterated ghee supply to the TTD.
The SIT on Sunday arrested the four accused--Vipin and Pomil Jain, the directors of Bholebaba Organic Dairy Private Ltd. based out of Roorkee in Uttarakhand; Apoorva Chandra, CEO of Sri Vaishnavi Dairy Pvt Ltd. of Penubaka in Srikalahasti and Dr Raju Rajasejharan, the MD of AR Dairy located in Dindigul of Tamil Nadu.
Sources said that the investigation by the SIT into the case has revealed that key accused destroyed evidence, manipulated company ownership, and supplied substandard ghee for making Srivari laddus and other prasads.
Directors Replaced With Drivers To Conceal Fraud
In a startling revelation by the SIT, the investigation revealed that accused Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, the masterminds behind the fraud, resigned as directors of Vaishnavi Dairy shortly after the scam came to light at the TTD. In their place, the accused appointed Surendra Singh and Saurabh Kashyap—who previously worked as drivers—to shield themselves from scrutiny, sources said. To further cover their tracks, they destroyed their cellphones and falsely claimed they were lost, they added.
Modus Operandi
According to the investigators, AR Dairy, based in Tamil Nadu, lacked the qualifications to participate in TTD’s ghee supply tender. However, Vaishnavi Dairy fabricated false documents, including FSSAI returns, and submitted the tender on behalf of AR Dairy.
It is learnt that the ghee was not manufactured by AR Dairy, but it was procured from Bholebaba Organic Dairy in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, transported to Vaishnavi Dairy near Tirupati, and then repackaged with new seals and fraudulent lab reports before being supplied to TTD.
In June and July 2024, multiple quality tests by TTD found the ghee to be substandard, and samples were sent to NDDB Calf Lab in Gujarat which confirmed the presence of animal fats, leading to the rejection of tankers. However, instead of returning to AR Dairy, the tankers directly went to Vaishnavi Dairy, raising suspicions.
Disqualification And Infiltration Tactics
It is learnt that Bholebaba Dairy was previously blacklisted by TTD in 2022 for supplying poor-quality ghee. To circumvent the ban, Bholebaba Dairy partnered with Vaishnavi Dairy, which then involved AR Dairy as a front as per investigators.
It is alleged that the deal involved a commission of Rs 2.75–Rs 3 per kilo, and financial transactions between Bholebaba and AR Dairy were traced, confirming the fraudulent operation. The SIT is still investigating the actual origin of the supplied ghee, as it was not even manufactured by Bholebaba Dairy.
Political Involvement?
The SIT suspects that officials within TTD and political figures from the YSRCP government may have played a role in awarding tenders to AR Dairy. Further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the nexus between dairy companies, government officials, and political leaders.
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