Supreme Court Rejects Plea to Shift Tirupati Ghee Adulteration Probe Outside Andhra Pradesh
India's apex court has declined a petition seeking to relocate the high-profile Tirupati ghee adulteration investigation away from Andhra Pradesh. The decision leaves ongoing federal inquiries intact as authorities delve deeper into a massive multi-year procurement scandal.
- The Supreme Court dismissed the petition to move the adulteration probe out of Andhra Pradesh.
- Federal investigations by the CBI and ED have uncovered a staggering ₹250 crore financial fraud.
- Records indicate that nearly 68 lakh kg of counterfeit ghee was supplied to the TTD from 2019 to 2024.
NEW DELHI — In a significant legal development for temple administration oversight in southern India, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday officially turned down a legal petition demanding the transfer of the Tirupati ghee adulteration inquiry outside the borders of Andhra Pradesh. The ruling ensures that the ongoing judicial and investigative proceedings will remain anchored within the state, preserving the current jurisdiction overseeing the multi-agency crackdown on temple supply chain corruption.
At the heart of the controversy is a colossal procurement scandal that has rattled religious and political circles alike. According to comprehensive findings compiled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the illicit operation involved a staggering ₹250 crore financial fraud. Investigators established that over a five-year window spanning from 2019 to 2024, approximately 68 lakh kilograms of substandard, fake, and synthetic dairy fat were funneled into the sacred kitchens of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), compromising the sanctity of the world-renowned pilgrimage site.
