The Enforcement Directorate has taken a prominent figure associated with Sukriti Foods into custody, alleging that the company was involved in using palm oil as a substitute for pure desi ghee in the preparation of Tirupati Laddu, one of India's most revered temple offerings. The arrest comes amid an ongoing investigation into food adulteration linked to the supply of prasadam at the famous Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Sources indicate that the ED had been tracking irregularities in the food supply chain leading to the temple's annadanam and laddu distribution programme. Investigators believe that palm oil, far cheaper than quality ghee, may have been substituted without the knowledge of temple authorities or the public, who traditionally expect the sanctified sweets to be made with pure ingredients.
Sukriti Foods, a private food processing firm, is understood to have been one of the entities supplying key ingredients for the temple's daily food operations. The exact quantity of laddu affected by the alleged substitution has not been officially disclosed, nor has the financial scale of the suspected fraud been fully quantified. The arrested individual is said to hold a senior promotional role within the company.
Temple authorities and devotees have long regarded the Tirupati Laddu as more than a food item — it is considered a sacred prasadam, and any compromise in ingredient quality is viewed as deeply offensive by millions of followers. Religious bodies and food safety activists have demanded a thorough probe and strict action against those responsible.
Legal proceedings are expected to follow, with the ED likely seeking judicial custody or extending interrogation. The case has reignited debates about accountability in the massive prasad supply network and the need for stricter quality monitoring in religious food distribution systems across the country.
