TTD Files Complaint Against AR Dairy Foods Over Alleged Adulterated Ghee

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has lodged a police complaint against Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd, claiming it supplied adulterated ghee for the sacred Lord Venkateswara shrine. The case, registered at Tirupati East police station, may be transferred to a Special Investigation Team for further probe.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of the sacred and wealthy Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala hills, has filed a police complaint against AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd, a Tamil Nadu-based firm, accusing it of supplying adulterated ghee.

A senior official from TTD confirmed to PTI that the complaint was officially lodged at the Tirupati East police station by the procurement general manager, Murali Krishna. According to Tirupati district superintendent of police, L Subbarayudu, the complaint states that AR Dairy allegedly breached TTD's regulations by delivering adulterated ghee.

The case, registered under several sections, might be transferred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by Thursday as per directions from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who recently formed the SIT to look into the laddu adulteration issue. In a press briefing, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao revealed that lab tests indicated the presence of animal fat and lard in selected ghee samples from AR Dairy. However, AR Dairy's spokespersons denied any wrongdoing, asserting that their ghee products had passed relevant quality checks and were supplied to TTD only during June and July.

(With inputs from agencies.)