TTD chief says ‘real culprits’ ignored in SIT charge sheet on ghee row

TIrumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) combine room chairman BR Naidu said on fri that the telephone exchange Bureau of investigating (CBI)-led special investigation team that conducted inquiry into the reported use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of famed Tirupati laddus has conveniently ignored the role of real players behind the ₹250 crore scam.Speaking to reporters in Tirumala, Naidu said the SIT, which submitted its final charge sheet to the court last week failed to comprehensively establish the truth behind the controversy surrounding the laddu preparation process.“A lot of questions still remain unanswered with regard to the ghee adulteration case. The TTD board shall request the CBI-led SIT to conduct further inquiry, unearth the role of racketeers behind the whole scam and file another supplementary charge sheet so that the real culprits are thrown behind the bars,” the TTD chairman said.Naidu said the board would request the SIT to use the micro-DNA testing as part of the investigation to scientifically determine the nature of substances used in the making of Tirupati laddu during the previous regime.He pointed out that the initial tests conducted by the National Dairy Development Board’s Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (NDDB CALF) in Anand, Gujarat, indicated the presence of animal fat in the ghee used in the laddu preparation.“Based on the report, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and various Hindu groups wanted a thorough probe. Now, the YSR Congress Party leaders are claiming that the CBI-led SIT report has ruled out the presence of animal fat and are celebrating as if the agency has given a clean chit to the previous regime. But nowhere in the report did the SIT say that there was no animal fat in the ghee,” Naidu said.The TTD chairman questioned how nearly 6 million kilograms of ghee could have been procured without sufficient supplies of milk or butter. He alleged that adulterated ghee mixed with certain chemicals was used to manufacture approximately 200 million laddus, which were then distributed to devotees.Calling it a “grave sin,” he said the sanctity of the sacred offering had been compromised. He further alleged that life-threatening chemicals were used during the laddu-making process, putting the health and lives of devotees at risk.Tender rules changed to benefit fake firmsIn the charge sheet, the SIT said in April 2019, the TTD had constituted a committee of experts and officials, which recommended stringent conditions to call for tenders for procurement of cow ghee used for the preparation of laddus. The conditions include cow milk fat of 12 tonnes per day, firms supplying cow ghee should have annual turnover of ₹250 crore and mandatory procurement of four lakh litres per day.“These conditions were changed in December 2019, after the change of regime and the procurement conditions were relaxed. The condition for supply of four lakh litres per day was removed, operation of dairy was reduced from three years to one year; cow milk fat per day reduced from 12 tonnes to eight tonnes and annual turnover rule was reduced from ₹250 crore to ₹150 crore,” the SIT report said, adding this relaxation resulted in allowing selected companies participating in the tenders.“The SIT should investigate who the people behind this change of tender conditions were and why they had allowed such large-scale financial transactions,” the TTD chairman said.He alleged that the ghee supply contracts could not have been given to dubious firms without the support of then TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.The SIT also highlighted the role of Kaduru Chinna Appanna, who served as personal assistant to Subba Reddy. During the arrest of Appanna, the SIT had revealed that he was earning only about ₹65 lakh in salary between 2019–24, but deposits of nearly ₹4.69 crore entered his bank account and significant property purchases were made in multiple districts.The TTD chairman wanted a thorough investigation into the corrupt practices of one of the accused. “Is it possible for a private individual to handle crores of rupees in dealings through ghee supply without political backing?” he asked.Affirming that the lab reports had categorically stated that there was no animal fat in the Tirupati laddu, YSRCP has demanded that Chandrababu’s remark on the issue, which evoked global outrage among devotees, should be taken seriously, and that he should be pulled up for his irresponsible statement.Speaking to the media on Friday, party state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said that Chandrababu, holding high office, tried to politicise the issue by passing an irresponsible remark that there was adulteration in the Tirupati laddu, which created a major flutter.Meanwhile, the YSRCP demanded an unconditional apology from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for making false statements on the adulteration of laddu with animal fat, in the wake of the SIT charge sheet which quoted lab reports stating that no animal fat was found in the laddus.YSRCP state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said nowhere in the report did the SIT mention that the former TTD chairman or board members were involved in the irregularities. “This keeps our slate clean, and the allegations are subject to legal scrutiny,” he said.