CBI Probe Rules Out Animal Fat in Tirupati Laddu, Confirms Massive Vegetable Oil Scam
CBI investigation confirms vegetable oil usage excluding animal fat theories
In a significant development that brings clarity to millions of devotees, including the thousands from Odisha who visit Tirumala annually, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its final chargesheet regarding the Tirupati Laddu Adulteration case. The central agency has categorically ruled out the presence of beef tallow or lard (animal fat) in the ghee used for the sacred prasadam, debunking earlier political allegations that had sparked nationwide outrage.
However, the findings are still disturbing for the faithful. The CBI investigation revealed that while animal fat was not used, the ghee was heavily adulterated with vegetable oils and chemical esters to cut costs.
The "Virtual" Dairy Scam
The chargesheet, filed before the Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Nellore, exposes a sophisticated scam run by Bhole Baba Organic Dairy in Uttarakhand. Investigators described the dairy as a "virtual" manufacturing unit. Between 2019 and 2024, the dairy procured zero litres of milk and processed no butter, yet managed to supply 68,000 kilograms of "ghee" to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
According to the probe, this fake ghee was a synthetic mixture of palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palmolein. To fool the temple's quality control checks, the suppliers added acetic acid esters to mimic the chemical properties of pure ghee and Beta Carotene to replicate its golden-yellow colour.
Political Fallout and Demands for Apology
The report has reignited political tensions in Andhra Pradesh. In 2024, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan had alleged that the laddu prasadam was tainted with animal fat during the previous YSRCP regime.
With the CBI now confirming that the adulteration was strictly vegetable-based, the YSRCP has launched a counter-offensive. Former TTD Chairman and YSRCP leader YV Subba Reddy stated that the current administration should apologize to the devotees and former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for spreading "false propaganda" about animal fat, which hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Relief for Devotees
For the lakhs of pilgrims from Odisha who view Lord Balaji with the same reverence as Lord Jagannath, the report offers a mixed sense of relief. While the sanctity of the prasadam was indeed compromised by greed and vegetable oil, the absence of animal fat settles the most distressing rumour that had clouded the spiritual experience at Tirumala.
