TIRUPATI: In first arrests in the Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI on Sunday took four people into custody, including the MD of the Tamil Naidu dairy in the eye of the storm.
According to sources, the four include R Rajasekharan, MD of Dindigul-based AR Dairy; Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain of Uttarakhand-based Bhole Baba Dairy and Apoorva Chawda representing Vaishnavi Dairy from Nellore.
Sources said CBI arrested the four after questioning them over the last three days. The accused were produced before a local magistrate in Tirupati for remanding them.
The investigation by SIT revealed serious violations during ghee supply, with irregularities at every step, sources said.
The row had erupted in Sept last year when Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that ghee adulterated with animal fat was used to prepare Tirupati laddus during the YSRCP govt.
The TDP later released a laboratory report in support of the allegations, which was refuted by YSRCP and dubbed as meant to tarnish the party.
Subsequently, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) blacklisted AR Dairy and lodged a complaint against them at the Tirupati East police station.
While the state govt began its probe, after the issue reached the doors of the Supreme Court, the court in Oct last year ordered the CBI to form a SIT to probe adulteration claims.
As per the orders of the SC, CBI joint director (Hyderabad) S Veeresh Prabhu, CBI SP (Visakhapatnam) Murali Rambha, Guntur IG Sarvashresth Tripathi and Visakhapatnam range DIG Gopinath Jatti and an FSSAI official formed part of the CBI probe.
