Supreme Court: In a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the controversy relating to Tirupati laddus on the allegations of the use of adulterated ghee for the preparation of laddus offered as prasadam at the Tirumala Tirupati Temple, the Division Bench of BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, JJ. constituted a special Special Investigation Team substituting the one formed by the Andhra Pradesh government.
The Bench directed that the special SIT shall have two officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), two from the Andhra Pradesh State Police and one senior officer from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The CBI Director shall oversee the investigation.
A Special Investigation Team (‘SIT’) was appointed on 26-09-2024 by the Andhra Pradesh government to investigate the matter.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister accused the previous government led by YSRCP’s Jagan Mohan Reddy of compromising the religious “purity” of India’s richest temple by permitting the use of adulterated ghee containing animal fat. CM Naidu referenced a laboratory report from Gujarat, which asserted that the ghee contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard.
[Dr. Subramanian Swamy v. State of Andhra Pradesh, Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 622/2024, decided on 04-10-2024]
Source: Press
