The Central Bureau of Investigation’s special team has taken a massive step in the Tirupati laddu adulteration scandal, naming 36 individuals in its final chargesheet filed at the Nellore ACB court on Friday. The name of accused is a mix of high-ranking insiders and industry players, including nine Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials and five dairy experts who allegedly conspired with manufacturers to pass off fake products as pure cow ghee.
The investigation has revealed a startling level of deception. According to the SIT, the substance sold to the temple was not actually ghee at all. Instead, it was a cocktail of chemically processed palmolein oil, palm kernel oil, and other cheap substitutes.
In order to ensure proper blend of passed lab tests and have the smell of authentic item, the suspect has allegedly used a combination of beta carotene, acetic acid esters, and artificial ghee aromas to perform the tests.
This investigation is a result of the charges levelled by none other than the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, way back in September of 2024. He stunned the nation when he accused the erstwhile YSRCP Government of putting in inferior ingredients, including animal fat into the hallowed laddus. This has sparked a firestorm of nationwide protest and has attacked the religious sentiments of several devotees who considered the laddus a divine offering.
Also read: YSRCP worker among two held in Tirumala defamation case
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