Five-Year Scam Unveiled: Fake Dairy Supplied 68 Lakh Kg of Synthetic Ghee to Tirupati Temple, Says CBI

A Dairy That Never Bought Milk — Yet Supplied 68 Lakh Kg of Ghee

According to the CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, based in Bhagwanpur, Uttarakhand, had no real milk or butter procurement in operation. Despite that, it managed to win and fulfill multi-crore contracts to supply “pure desi ghee” for use in Tirupati’s famous laddu prasadams.

The probe revealed that the promoters — Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain — had set up a fake ghee manufacturing unit and forged milk procurement and payment records to mislead authorities and auditors.

Forged Documents, Chemical Additives, and Adulteration Trail

Investigators found that the accused mixed chemicals such as monodiglycerides and acetic acid ester to mimic the texture and aroma of real ghee. The chemicals were supplied by Ajay Kumar Sugandh, who has been arrested in connection with the case.

The SIT’s remand report, submitted to a Nellore court, stated that Bhole Baba Organic continued its fraudulent activities even after being blacklisted in 2022. The dairy allegedly used proxy firms — including Vyshnavi Dairy (Tirupati), Mal Ganga Dairy (Uttar Pradesh), and AR Dairy Foods (Tamil Nadu) — to keep supplying synthetic ghee to TTD.

Rejected Ghee Repackaged and Resold to TTD

In one particularly alarming finding, CBI discovered that four tankers of adulterated ghee rejected by TTD in July 2024 — after testing positive for animal fat — were rebranded and supplied again by Bhole Baba promoters through Vyshnavi Dairy.

When Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials inspected AR Dairy’s Dindigul facility, they found that the rejected tankers never returned to the plant but were instead diverted to a nearby stone-crushing unit near Vyshnavi Dairy.

By August 2024, the ghee had been filtered, relabeled, and resupplied to TTD — where it was unknowingly used in preparing the sacred Tirupati laddus, consumed by millions of devotees.

Faith Shaken, Devotees Outraged

The revelations have sparked outrage across the country, with devotees demanding stringent punishment for those responsible for desecrating the sanctity of temple offerings.

A TTD official said the trust has tightened quality control protocols and will fully cooperate with the ongoing CBI investigation. “This is not just a fraud; it’s an act of betrayal against faith,” the official said.

What’s Next in the Probe

The CBI is currently interrogating the dairy promoters and verifying the financial trail linked to the ₹250-crore ghee contracts. Forensic teams are also examining chemical samples and document forgeries.

Officials hinted that more arrests could follow, as the SIT believes multiple suppliers and transport contractors may have been complicit in the racket.

Public Trust and Transparency on Trial

This scandal not only raises serious questions about procurement oversight but also about the sanctity of religious institutions that rely on external suppliers for sacred offerings.

For devotees, the scandal has turned a symbol of divine purity — the Tirupati Laddu — into a bitter reminder of human greed.