Tirupati Laddu controversy: Supreme Court orders probe by SIT under CBI supervision

Supreme Court forms new probe team with CBI, State Police, and FSSAI, citing global impact of allegations

Supreme Court forms new probe team with CBI, State Police, and FSSAI, citing global impact of allegations
Supreme Court forms new probe team with CBI, State Police, and FSSAI, citing global impact of allegations

Top Court forms special team, CBI director to supervise probe in Tirupati Laddu row

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the allegation of adulteration in Tirupati Laddus. A Bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan directed that the 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 Court also ordered that SIT investigation shall be under the supervision of the director of CBI.

“In order to assuage the feelings of crores of people, we find that investigation by independent SIT consisting of representatives of State police, CBI, and FSSAI shall be done,” the Court said. The apex court was hearing the petitions filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) former Chairperson Y V Subba Reddy seeking a Court-monitored probe into the allegations raised by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The Chief Minister alleged that substandard ghee containing animal fat to prepare laddus at Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s regime.

The State SIT which is already probing the case shall be substituted by the new SIT which shall comprise officers of the CBI nominated by the director of the CBI, two officers of Andhra Pradesh State police nominated by the State, and a senior officer of FSSAI nominated by the chairman of the body, the Court directed.

“We clarify that our order should not be construed as a reflection on the independence and fairness of the members of the state SIT. We have constituted the committee only to assuage the feelings of crores of people having faith in the deity,” said the Bench.

During the previous hearing, the Bench had grilled Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for prematurely going public with the claim that the previous regime of the YSR Congress Party had used substandard ghee containing animal fat.

When the matter was taken up for hearing today, SG Mehta suggested that an officer from a Central government agency can supervise the SIT probe to inspire confidence in the probe. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the Andhra Pradesh government and said that the State should be allowed to proceed with the probe.

However, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Y V Subba Reddy, said that Chief Minister Naidu’s statements had compromised the partiality and hence, an independent body should investigate the matter.[1]

Reference:

[1] Tirupati Laddu controversy: Supreme Court orders probe by SIT under CBI supervisionOct 04, 2024, Bar and Bench

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