The probe agency on Tuesday questioned the former chief of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in connection with the alleged Tirumala ghee adulteration case.
A.V. Dharma Reddy, who served as the Executive Officer (EO) of the TTD, appeared before the SIT office in Tirupati for a detailed inquiry into the case.
A Special Investigation Team, constituted by the Supreme Court, found that adulterated ghee was allegedly used in the preparation of the sacred Tirupati Laddu prasadam at Tirumala's Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the probe agency, the TTD received an estimated 68 lakh kilograms of spurious ghee, valued at approximately Rs 250 crore, over a five-year period from 2019 to 2024.
The probe, detailed in a remand report submitted to the Nellore ACB court, revealed that the primary supplier—an Uttarakhand-based dairy—had managed to deliver this massive quantity of ghee without procuring a single drop of milk or butter.
The "ghee" was allegedly synthesised using palm oil, palm kernel oil, and industrial chemicals such as acetic acid ester to manipulate purity tests (Reichert–Meissl value) and evade TTD's quality checks.
Allegations suggest that large-scale adulteration occurred during the tenure of the former EO, and the SIT is questioning him on contract approvals, procurement procedures, and oversight mechanisms.
The questioning of the former EO marks a new phase of the investigation, following the recent arrest of Chinna Appanna, a close aide and former personal assistant to former TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy. Appanna was allegedly instrumental in securing contracts for ineligible dairies and manipulating tender processes.
The SIT is also likely to issue notices to former TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy for questioning in connection with the case. The agency aims to trace the complete chain of command responsible for the procurement and quality control failures that allegedly compromised the sanctity of the widely revered prasadam.
