An Uttarakhand-based dairy, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Pvt Ltd, has been found guilty of duping the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) by supplying nearly 68 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee between 2019 and 2024. The large-scale fraud, exposed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), is estimated to have caused losses of nearly ₹250 crore to the temple trust.
According to the SIT’s remand report submitted to the Nellore ACB Court, the dairy, promoted by Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain and based at Bhagwanpur in Uttarakhand, did not procure a single drop of milk or butter during the entire five-year period. Despite this, it managed to supply vast quantities of “pure ghee” to the temple trust.
Investigators revealed that the company produced the fake ghee using a mixture of palm oil, palm kernel oil, mono- and diglycerides, acetic acid esters, beta-carotene, and synthetic ghee essence to mimic the texture, colour, and aroma of authentic cow ghee. The SIT report further noted that the firm artificially manipulated the Reichert-Meissl (RM) value—a key parameter for testing ghee purity—so that it could pass standard quality checks.
TTD ghee scandal: Large-Scale Deception Across States
Bhole Baba Oroganic Dairymilk Pvt Ltd
The SIT uncovered that between 2022 and 2025, around 37.38 lakh kilograms of this adulterated ghee, valued at ₹137 crore, was supplied to the temple kitchens. Although TTD blacklisted Bhole Baba Dairy in 2022, the company continued its operations by routing supplies through proxy firms located in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
One of the most shocking findings was that four tanker loads of ghee, rejected by TTD’s laboratory in July 2024 for containing traces of animal fat, were re-labelled and re-supplied through a front company called Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities. The consignments were later accepted by the temple trust without fresh quality checks.
The SIT has also arrested Ajay Kumar Sugandh, a Delhi-based trader accused of supplying the chemical agents and synthetic compounds used to create the adulterated ghee. A complex network of distributors and intermediaries across states has also come under scrutiny.
Impact On Temple Trust And Devotees
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, one of the wealthiest temple trusts in India, uses around 1,500 kilograms of ghee every day to prepare its sacred Tirupati laddoos. The revelation that fake ghee was used in offerings to devotees has caused widespread outrage.
Investigators also found that despite receiving an adverse report from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 2022, which identified irregularities in ghee samples, the TTD continued to accept supplies without conducting follow-up testing or supplier verification.
SIT’s Next Steps
The SIT is preparing its final report, which will identify individuals and officials involved in procurement and testing lapses. The investigation will also examine how a blacklisted supplier managed to continue deliveries for two more years despite clear warnings.
Authorities have said that stricter traceability systems, real-time laboratory checks, and independent third-party audits will soon be made mandatory for all future TTD procurement contracts. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also been asked to conduct an all-India review of food-supply chains used by temple trusts and religious institutions.
