Delhi HC Shields Dairy Firm from Tirupati Laddu Allegations
The Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to Heritage Foods Limited, a Hyderabad-based dairy company, in a defamation case over media reports that linked the firm to the high-profile Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu ghee adulteration controversy. The court’s order halts publication and mandates removal or takedown of the impugned reports and identical content by the defendants pending further hearings.
Heritage Foods filed the suit against a newspaper, a television channel and various digital platforms, arguing that false and misleading reports published on 14 February 2026 had falsely associated the company with supplying adulterated ghee used in the preparation of laddus at the famed Tirupati temple — a claim the company said was grounded solely on name similarity with an unrelated firm allegedly accused in the TTD ghee matter. The plaintiffs pointed out that investigation records and public documents did not name Heritage Foods or its business associates in the FIRs or charge sheets regarding the laddu ghee case.
Justice Mini Pushkarna accepted that Heritage Foods had made out a prima facie case of reputational harm and that the balance of convenience favoured an injunction. The court therefore restrained the defendants from publishing the article or any similar claims and issued summons in the main suit. The next hearing is scheduled for 9 July 2026.
The Tirupati laddu controversy itself stems from allegations of adulteration of ghee used in prasadam preparation, which prompted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, file chargesheets and ongoing legal scrutiny in multiple courts. Separate hearings in the Supreme Court have upheld the continuation of both administrative and criminal investigations into aspects of the matter, emphasising procedural boundaries between inquiries.
Source : DAirynews7x7 Feb 24th 2026 Read full story here
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