Amaravati, December 28, 2025: The year began on a tragic note with a January stampede during Vaikuntha Ekadasi token distribution at Tirumala, claiming six lives and injuring several pilgrims due to crowd control lapses.
This incident amplified scrutiny on TTD, already dealing with carryover issues like the Parakamani treasury scandal, engineering irregularities, and promotion disputes.
Major probes dominated headlines. A CBI-led Special Investigation Team, backed by state agencies and court oversight, investigated allegations of adulterated ghee in laddu prasadam, uncovering procurement flaws, kickbacks, and use of substandard ingredients like palm oil derivatives.
Arrests included dairy suppliers, a chemical trader, and TTD officials, with former leaders questioned. Another vigilance probe exposed a ₹54.95-crore scam supplying inferior polyester shawls as pure silk over a decade, confirmed by lab tests. Political exchanges in Andhra Pradesh further intensified public debate around temple governance.
