Tirupati, June 6 (IANS) In a move to safeguard the sanctity and intellectual property of the sacred Tirupati Laddu, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has initiated legal action against multiple unauthorised entities found selling or promoting products under the name "Tirupati Laddu" in violation of its registered Geographical Indication (GI).

Legal notices have been served through Sahadeva Law Chambers to several online platforms and vendors including PushMyCart (Mahita LLC) and Transact Foods Limited, for unauthorized commercial exploitation of the Tirupati Laddu name and falsely associating their offerings with the temple.

According to an official statement, the legal notices highlighted that Tirupati Laddu is a protected GI under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

The preparation of the laddu is done exclusively within the Tirumala temple under the supervision of TTD, following a time-honoured and sanctified process. Unauthorised use and sale of the name not only infringes legal rights but also undermines the spiritual sanctity of the offering.

In response, PushMyCart acknowledged receipt of the legal notice and, showing goodwill, suspended the infringing product listings pending legal review. Several other vendors have also taken down their listings following TTD’s proactive outreach.

“The Tirupati Laddu is not just a product, but a sacred prasadam with deep spiritual and cultural value. We are committed to taking all necessary legal steps to prevent its misuse and to protect the trust of crores of devotees worldwide,” said TTD Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao.

This is claimed to be one of the first instances in India where a temple offering protected under GI law has been defended through formal legal channels on international platforms.

Meanwhile, Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case has opposed the bail petitions of all three accused in the Andhra Pradesh High court.

The MD of AR Dairy Raju Sekharan, Bhole Baba Organic Dairy directors Pomil Jain, Vipin Jain and Vaishavi CEO Apoorva Vinaykant Chawda, applied for bail. The court adjourned the hearing to June 17.

The CBI counsel told the High Court that the accused were all part of a criminal conspiracy. Bhole Baba Dairy allegedly used AR Dairy and Vaishnavi Dairy as front companies to secure ghee supply contract from TTD.

The SIT investigations revealed that the ghee supplied to TTD was mixed with palm oil and chemicals. The SIT led by CBI Joint Director Viresh Prabhu arrested the accused in February.

The SIT was constituted by the Supreme Court to probe the allegations of adulterated ghee being used in the preparation of sacred laddus.

--IANS

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