No animal fat, but 6 adulterants used in Tirupati laddoo: ED

New Delhi: The Tirupati laddoo ghee adulteration case took a fresh turn as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) listed out six adulterants and alleged that the ghee used to prepare the prasadam was manufactured using refined palm oil, palmolein, palm kernel oil and various chemicals before being supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee.

The agency arrested Sukriti Foods promoter Kailash Chand Mangla in connection with the ghee adulteration. The ED said Mangla had been arrested by its Hyderabad office on September 17 in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to TTD. He was later produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Visakhapatnam, which sent him to judicial custody.

The ED's list of six adulterants, which did not include animal fat, triggered a political storm in Andhra Pradesh. The opposition YSRCP demanded an unconditional apology from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan for playing with the religious beliefs of the devotees. Naidu had claimed in September 2024 that the ghee had been adulterated with animal fat, including beef tallow and fish oil.


A YSRCP spokesperson said, "Reports have also indicated that rejected ghee stocks were allegedly repackaged and supplied again in August 2024, after the TDP-led coalition government came to power. This raises serious questions about the quality control and monitoring failures under the present government...."