Rajasekharan, MD of AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd, seeks anticipatory bail from the Andhra Pradesh High Court after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) accused the company of supplying adulterated ghee for Tirupati laddus. Rajasekharan challenges the sample collection process, claiming it violated Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA) norms.
Rajasekharan, the Managing Director of AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd, a Tamil Nadu-based dairy company in India, has filed for anticipatory bail in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The company is under scrutiny after allegations from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) temple trust, accusing it of supplying adulterated ghee for the preparation of the renowned Tirupati laddus.
The case emerges amid a series of inspections conducted by a special investigation team constituted by the Andhra Pradesh state government. Rajasekharan has contested the manner in which the samples were collected by the TTD, asserting that they did not follow the protocols outlined under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA) Act.
According to the Managing Director, the TTD collected samples from tankers belonging to AR Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd without involving a government-appointed food safety officer, which he argues is mandatory under the FSSA Act. “Only a food safety officer is authorized to draw samples for examination by a food analyst,” Rajasekharan stated in his plea. Despite the availability of a food safety officer, the TTD did not request their services for the sample collection, he further claimed.
The temple trust, which manages the revered Tirumala temple, had raised concerns over the quality of ghee supplied by the dairy company, prompting the investigations. The High Court is expected to review the anticipatory bail plea in light of the ongoing investigations.
This case has attracted attention across India due to the iconic status of the Tirupati laddus, which are a significant part of the temple’s offerings, consumed by millions of devotees throughout the country and beyond.
