INDIA, November 10, 2025 (The 420): In a scandal that has shaken the faith of millions, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe has uncovered a massive US$28.25 million fake ghee racket that supplied adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) — one of the world’s richest and most revered Hindu temple trusts. According to the CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), a Uttarakhand-based company, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, illegally supplied nearly 15 million pounds of fake ghee to the temple between 2019 and 2024. Shockingly, the company had no record of purchasing milk or butter, yet managed to deliver vast quantities of so-called “pure desi ghee.” Lab analysis and witness testimony revealed that the product was a chemical concoction, made using industrial agents such as monoglycerides and acetic acid esters — substances used in lubricants and processed foods to mimic the texture and aroma of real ghee.

The investigation found that TTD blacklisted Bhole Baba Dairy in 2022 after initial complaints surfaced. However, the company continued its supply chain through proxy dairies, including Vaishnavi Dairy (Tirupati), Maal Ganga Dairy (Uttar Pradesh), and AR Dairy Foods (Tamil Nadu). The CBI report cites that certain batches even contained traces of animal fat, raising serious ethical and religious concerns. In July 2024, TTD reportedly rejected four tankers of ghee supplied by AR Dairy after finding irregularities, but the same consignments were rerouted to Vaishnavi Dairy — a move now under FSSAI scrutiny. The scandal cuts to the core of faith and institutional trust. The “sacred ghee” used to prepare Tirupati’s iconic laddoo prasadam — consumed by millions of devotees annually — has now been tainted by commercial greed. Devotees and watchdog groups are asking how such a large-scale fraud went unnoticed for years under the temple’s procurement system.

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https://the420.in/tirupati-ttd-ghee-scam-cbi-250-crore-adulteration/

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