TIRUPATI: A case was registered against a fake website for allegedly illegally selling the famed 'Tirupati Laddus' of Lord Venkateswara shrine here.
The portal has been blocked following a criminal complaint lodged with police here by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a temple official said.
The action comes after social media outcry on the fake website, www.balajiprasadam.com. that claimed to do door delivery of the hill temple's 'laddus' (ball-shaped sweet) to devotees across the country at 'exorbitant' prices.
The complaint alleged abuse of the fame of ancient temple and its much sought after 'laddu' for wrongful gains by the operators of the website.
No arrest has so far been made in this connection, the official said.
The laddu prepared at the massive kitchen close to the shrine at nearby Tirumala is in great demand among devotees, who throng the shrine from different parts of the world throughout the year.
Annually about 10 crore pieces of laddu are made and sold for Rs 50 each.
Taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, some unscrupulous elements have resorted to cheating the devotees, he added.
Meanwhile, the lone content that appeared on the deactivated website said, "We made a genuine effort. We also mentioned on the website that the laddus will be purchased from the TTD outlet. Considering the circumstances, we have discontinued the website which was launched on 7th December 2020."
"We are grateful to the people who supported us and we apologize for any inconvenience," the site added.