SIT has charged them under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Tirupati: The Special Investigation Team probing the ghee adulteration scam in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has moved a custody petition in court, seeking the remand of four accused.
The second additional district magistrate court in Tirupati will hear arguments on the plea on Thursday.
The accused — Raju Rajasekharan, Pomil Jain, Vipin Jain and Apoorva Vinaykanth Chavda — were issued notices after the SIT filed the petition on Monday. The SIT has charged them under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act.
When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, defense counsels for the accused sought time to file their counters. Following this, the magistrate adjourned the hearing to Thursday. The court will also decide on the bail plea of AR Dairy managing director Raju Rajasekharan the same day.
Meanwhile, the SIT is searching for Sabbi Kalimulla Khan, alias Sameer, executive officer of the Vaishnavi Dairy plant in Srikalahasti. Identified as Accused 8, he is suspected to have played a key role in sending back rejected ghee tankers to TTD in June 2024.
Despite his known links to Srikalahasti, he has remained untraceable since the SIT’s formation. According to the remand report, both Sameer and Apoorva Vinaykanth Chavda managed Vyshnavi Dairy’s affairs on behalf of Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain.
Investigators are also examining the involvement of TTD’s marketing officials and other staff in allowing in the adulterated ghee tankers in June 2024. Sources indicate that irregularities have been found, raising the possibility of notices being issued to senior officials who served in TTD during the YSRC term.
