ED raids Dindigul dairy company in connection with adulterated ghee in Tirupati laddu

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials suddenly raided a private dairy company located in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and Wednesday in connection with the supply of adulterated ghee in the famous Laddus Prasad of Tirumala temple. This action has been taken amid a long-running investigation.

This matter came to light in the year 2024, when allegations were made that adulterated ghee was used in the preparation of Laddus Prasad given to the devotees in Tirumala Temple located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. According to the allegations, this ghee was supplied to Dindigul’s A.R. It was supplied by a company called Dairy Foods.

After the matter came to light, a serious investigation was started. The Supreme Court had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate this entire episode. After this, the joint team of Central and State Food Safety Department also visited Dindigul based A.R. Conducted detailed investigation in Dairy Foods Company.

During investigation it came to light that there was a possibility of adulteration in the ghee supplied by the company. The report said that various vegetable and other oils like soybean oil and fish oil were used in the manufacturing of ghee, raising serious questions about its quality. After this the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam administration had blacklisted the company.

In the latest development, the Enforcement Directorate has intensified the investigation by linking the matter to the economic and money laundering angle. In this connection, the ED team raided the premises of the company located in Dindigul and examined the documents. Officials examined documents related to company records, supply chain and financial transactions.

According to sources, the investigating agencies are trying to find out for how long the adulterated ghee was supplied and which people played a role in the financial transactions resulting from it. Apart from this, other companies and individuals involved in the supply chain are also being investigated.

This matter had also created a lot of stir at the religious and administrative level, because the Laddu Prasad of Tirumala temple is linked to the faith of crores of devotees. After allegations of adulteration came to light, the administration took immediate action and banned the supplying company.

Now the latest action of ED is indicating that the matter is not limited to food security only, but financial irregularities are also being investigated. It is expected that more big revelations will be made in this case in the coming days.