TIRUPATI: The Supreme Court-appointed CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday arrested a serving TTD officer in the Srivari Laddu adulterated ghee case, marking a major breakthrough.
The SIT took into custody Accused No. 29, former General Manager (Procurement & Marketing) and current EE-1, RSSVR Subramanyam, the first serving TTD official arrested. He was part of the technical team inspecting ghee manufacturing units. SIT officials said Subramanyam inspected units and issued quality certificates in exchange for bribes from private suppliers. He was detained around 1.30 pm at the SIT office, taken for a medical examination at SVRRG Hospital and produced before the ACB Court, which remanded him in judicial custody for 15 days.
Statements from arrested accused (A2 to A5) indicated his role. The SIT submitted details of the quality verification process and how private dairies violated TTD standards. Confession statements established the nexus between TTD’s marketing wing and private dairy owners, including bribe routes and financial transfers.
His arrest raises the number of arrests to nine. Some are on bail. The SIT has intensified efforts to trace another key accused, Karimulla, a relative of Srivaishnavi Dairy CEO Apoorva Chawadi. Officials said a former TTD board member (2022–24) is under probe.