Supreme Court keeps Tirupati ghee adulteration case in Andhra Pradesh

The Supreme Court has refused a plea to shift jurisdiction of the Tirupati ghee adulteration case from Andhra Pradesh courts, keeping the high-profile investigation within the state's legal system. The decision maintains the case's location despite its scale and the involvement of multiple investigative agencies.

Probe agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have uncovered a substantial scam involving the supply of fake and synthetic ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Hinduism's most visited shrine. The investigation revealed that approximately 68 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee was supplied to the temple between 2019 and 2024, with the fraud valued at ₹250 crore.

The case has drawn considerable attention given the temple's prominence and the public health implications of counterfeit ghee being supplied for religious rituals and distribution as prasadam. The scope of the investigation, spanning several years and involving substantial financial irregularities, had prompted consideration of transferring the matter to a different jurisdiction.

With the Supreme Court's directive to maintain proceedings in Andhra Pradesh, local courts will continue overseeing the case while the CBI and ED pursue their respective investigations into the supply chain and financial aspects of the fraud.