The CBI has informed the AP High Court that adulterated ghee was supplied not only to the Tirumala Tirupati temples but also to many other temples in the state for making prasadams. CBI Advocate PSP Suresh Kumar informed the High Court on Tuesday that their investigation has revealed that adulterated ghee was supplied to the famous Kanipakam, Srikalahasti, Srisailam, Vijayawada Kanakadurga, Dwaraka Tirumala and Penuganchiprol Thirapatamma temples in the state for making prasadams.
In fact, rather than calling it adulterated ghee, it was said that chemicals were mixed in palm oil under the name of cow ghee to make it look and smell like cow ghee and supplied for prasadams. He clarified that there is no such thing as ghee and it was not any ghee that was supplied.
Justice K Srinivas Reddy announced that the verdict on the bail petition filed by Vaishnavi Dairy CEO Apoorva Chavada will be pronounced later. The hearing on the bail petitions of Bolebaba Dairy directors Pamil Jain and Vipin Jain has been adjourned to 28th of this month. The petitioners argue that they should be granted bail as the SIT under the leadership of the CBI director has completed the investigation.
The CBI argued that Bolebaba Dairy directors Pamil Jain (A-3) and Vipin Jain (A-4) who supplied 60 lakh kg of fake ghee from various dairies and benefited Rs. 240 crore, and the bail petitions filed by these two along with Vaishnavi Dairy CEO Apoorva Vinaru Kant Chavada (S) should be rejected.
“Pamil Jain and Vipin Jain are the key players behind the supply of adulterated ghee. Both of them are directors of Vaishnavi Dairy. In 2018, Bolebaba Dairy was blacklisted by TTD. Following this, Bolebaba Dairy invited tenders for the supply of ghee along with AR Dairy and Vaishnavi Dairy. Both the dairies do not have the capacity to supply ghee to TTD. However, Bolebaba Dairy got the contract using fake documents,” the CBI said.
“The tender amount to be paid to get the tenders was transferred from the account of Bolebaba Dairy to the account of AR Dairy. Although AR Dairy and Vaishnavi Dairy won the tender with TTD, tankers of adulterated ghee came from Bolebaba Dairy. A commission of Rs. 3 was paid to AR and Vaishnavi Dairies on every liter. TTD officers got their hands wet to get the ghee tenders,” it was revealed.
“TTD sent back four tankers of ghee supplied by AR Dairy, claiming that it was of poor quality. However, the seals on the tankers were removed and the adulterated ghee in those tankers was sent to TTD through Vaishnavi Dairy. When Sanjay Jain, a witness in the case, came to Tirupati from Delhi on April 7 to give his statement, the people who supplied the adulterated ghee threatened him,” the CBI alleged.
“While the accused Ashish Rohilla was preparing to plead guilty before the magistrate, without Rohilla’s knowledge, other people filed petitions in his name in the High Court. Rohilla himself informed the High Court about this. In this context, the accused should not be granted bail,” said the CBI lawyer.