After fake ghee, ₹54 crore 'silk' dupatta scam rocks Tirumala
What's the story
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has been rocked by another major scam, this time involving the procurement of silk dupattas. Vigilance officials discovered that fake silk dupattas were supplied, which were claimed to be silk but were actually made of polyester. The scam, which took place between 2015 and 2025, is estimated to have caused a loss of over ₹54 crore to the temple trust.
Dupatta details
Fake silk dupattas supplied at ₹1,389 each
According to officials, a contractor supplied around 15,000 dupattas at ₹1,389 per piece while claiming they were silk. However, samples sent for testing to two laboratories including the Central Silk Board confirmed that the dupattas were made of polyester and not silk. The mandatory silk hologram, which is used to certify genuine silk products, was also absent from the samples. During the 10-year period, a company and its subsidiary businesses were reportedly responsible for the majority of the cloth supply.
Naidu
TTD chairman acknowledges discrepancies
TTD Chairman BR Naidu acknowledged discrepancies in the purchasing department and said the trust has handed over the investigation to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). "A shawl that costs about ₹350 was being billed at ₹1,300. The total supplies would amount to more than ₹50 crore. We have asked for an ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) probe," Naidu said.
Recent scandals
TTD's recent controversies include adulterated prasadam and donation theft
This isn't the first controversy for TTD. In September 2024, a scandal broke out when then Andhra Pradesh chief minister alleged that animal fat or adulterated ghee was being used instead of pure cow ghee for making the sacred Tirupati laddu prasadam. A staggering 20.1 crore laddus distributed or sold by the TTD between 2019 and 2024 were made with spurious or toxic ghee, an internal assessment report revealed.
Theft incident
Parakamani case: Clerk caught stealing from donation box
Another controversy, known as the Parakamani case, came to light on April 29, 2023. A clerk at a temple-associated mutt near Tirumala, CV Ravi Kumar, was caught stealing contributions made by devotees into the "Srivari Hundi" donation box. Prosecutors alleged that this theft involved money collected as offerings at the temple.