The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put to rest one of the most sensitive controversies surrounding the Tirupati laddu stating that no beef tallow or lard was used in the ghee supplied for preparing the sacred prasadam between 2019 and 2024. The agency filed its final chargesheet on January 23 before the Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Nellore.
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The issue had triggered a major political and religious storm in 2024 after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan alleged that the laddu had been adulterated with “animal fat”. Following the Supreme Court’s intervention in October that year, a special CBI team was formed to investigate the claims.
Tirupati laddu row: No animal fat, but serious adulteration uncovered
While ruling out the presence of animal fat, the CBI has confirmed that the ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was not genuine dairy ghee. Instead, it was adulterated with vegetable oils and chemical esters that were engineered to imitate key dairy parameters.
According to the chargesheet, the main supplier, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy from Uttarakhand, functioned as a “virtual” manufacturing unit. Investigators found that the firm did not procure milk or butter at its facility during the period under scrutiny, yet managed to supply ghee worth nearly Rs 250 crore to TTD. The ghee was synthetically manufactured using non-dairy inputs.
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Tirumala laddu case: How lab tests were allegedly manipulated
The probe found that the adulteration was carefully designed to bypass quality checks. TTD relied heavily on Reichert-Meissl (RM) values to test ghee purity. To manipulate these results, a mix of palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein sourced from a Kolkata-based firm was used. Chemical additives such as Acetic Acid Esters were added to artificially raise RM values and make it artificially appear like pure ghee.
The chargesheet also details how beta carotene was added to mimic the golden colour of cow ghee, while artificial flavouring recreated the aroma of traditional “danedar” ghee. Importantly, the CBI clarified that deviations in “S-values”, which had earlier raised suspicions of animal fat, were caused by vegetable oils and esters—not animal tissue.
The investigation names 36 accused, including former TTD General Manager (Procurement) RSSVR Subrahmanyam, who allegedly cleared tenders despite red flags. It also points to attempts to bypass blacklisting by routing supplies through other dairies.
Political reactions resurface
Following the chargesheet, the YSR Congress Party, which was in power during the period in question, demanded an apology from Naidu and Pawan Kalyan. YSRCP leaders said Tirumala is a spiritual centre for crores of devotees and accused the leaders of dragging religion into politics through what they termed “false propaganda”.
With the CBI’s findings now on record, the focus is likely to shift from allegations of animal fat to accountability for large-scale synthetic adulteration of one of India’s most revered offerings. |
