VIJAYAWADA: In a major development in the investigation into adulteration of the Tirumala Laddu Prasadam, Director General of Police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao held a meeting with members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Guntur Range IG Sarvashresth Tripathi on Wednesday.
However, the State government is yet to issue orders pertaining to the setting up of SIT to probe into Laddu Prasadam adulteration. According to sources, the SIT will comprise Visakhapatnam Range DIG Gopinath Jatti, Kadapa SP V Harshavardhan Raju and some DSPs, Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors.
While announcing the constitution of SIT to probe adulteration of Tirumala Laddu Prasadam, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, “The SIT will investigate all issues and misuse of power by the previous dispensation.”
During the meeting, the DGP is learnt to have directed the SIT head to allot specific duties to the team members such as collection of details of the ghee procurement, the transportation pattern, quality parameters in place, statements of workers in the temple kitchen where the Laddu Prasadam is prepared, and other aspects.
“The ghee procurement pattern and measures in place to ensure its quality will be thoroughly studied. The overall process involved in the ghee procurement will be documented. The SIT will focus on previous purchases and tendering processes. The probe will lay more emphasis on how AR Dairy managed to supply cow ghee to the TTD at a very low price of Rs 320 per kg while others quoted more than Rs 400. It will also collect details from other companies, which participated in bidding, to unravel the facts,” the sources added.