A money trail of ₹50 lakh has been uncovered in connection with the supply of adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which uses the ghee to prepare the famous Srivari laddus distributed to millions of devotees and tourists each year.
According to sources, K. Chinnappanna, personal assistant to Y.V. Subba Reddy — YSR Congress Party MP and former TTD chairman — allegedly received the cash from hawala operators linked to Uttar Pradesh-based Premier Agri Foods Pvt. Ltd. Chinnappanna reportedly accepted ₹20 lakh from Delhi-based agent Aman Gupta and the remaining ₹30 lakh from Vijay Gupta, a senior executive at Premier Agri Foods. Both payments were allegedly made near Delhi’s Patel Nagar Metro Station.
The adulterated ghee controversy erupted last year after claims that the temple’s laddus were made using impure ghee containing animal fats. A Supreme Court-monitored probe by the CBI, state police, and food safety officials revealed that over 60 lakh kg of tainted ghee worth ₹240 crore had been supplied to the TTD by four dairies, including Bhole Baba Organic Dairy and Sri Vyshnavi Dairy. Despite lab reports confirming adulteration in 2022, supplies continued until 2024, raising serious concerns about negligence and possible collusion among officials.
