The CBI-led special investigation team named seven TTD employees and five external dairy experts as fresh accused. The allegedly fraudulent deals involved hundreds of crores of rupees, it is submitted.

The SIT, which has been examining the administrative and technical clearances given for ghee procurement, informed the court that the 12 individuals have been listed as accused numbers A-25 to A-36.

Their inclusion follows a review of how certain dairies obtained eligibility even as they failed to meet technical norms. The memo stated that the coordination between TTD officials and the external experts played a key role in the supply of about 68 lakh kg of adulterated ghee to the TTD.

According to the memo, the external experts responsible for plant inspections allegedly issued favourable or misleading assessments for several private dairies. Based on these, the dairies secured ghee supply contracts.

Those named include Dr M Mahender, Dr V Venkata Subramanian, M Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Dr B Surendranath and Dr K Jayaraj Rao. Their reports, the SIT noted, helped certain dairies qualify for contracts running into hundreds of crores.

The SIT investigation points to a similar pattern within TTD’s own ranks. The seven staff members now arraigned have been accused of misusing their positions to support bidders linked to Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, Sri Vyshnavi Dairy, Malganga Dairy, AR Dairy Foods, Premier Agri Foods etc.

Those named include former general managers (Procurement) RSSVR Subrahmanyam and P Murali Krishna, former warehouse deputy executive officer P Venkata Natesh Babu, former Goshala director Dr K Haranath Reddy, executive engineer P Jagadeeswara Reddy, junior assistant P Eswar Reddy, and senior assistant M Venkata Anil Kumar.

The memo said their actions enabled technically unqualified firms to secure contracts worth several hundred crores.