New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to transfer the investigation into the Tirupati laddu adulteration case outside Andhra Pradesh, holding that no case for such a transfer had been made out at this stage.
The case relates to allegations of adulteration in the ghee used to prepare the laddu prasadam at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which had triggered a major political and religious controversy.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant rejected the petition filed by Mastichandra Shantaram, managing director of a private dairy company, who had sought to move the probe out of the state.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave argued that a hostile atmosphere prevailed in Andhra Pradesh. He pointed to continuing political statements on the matter by the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, and contended that these made a fair investigation within the state difficult.
The CJI, however, was not persuaded. Observing that the Court’s earlier order had put an end to such public comments, he remarked, “We have silenced them all with our order.” The bench added that the petitioner was free to approach the Court again should any issue arise in future.
Concluding that the circumstances did not warrant shifting the probe at this stage, the bench dismissed the plea.
The development comes amid the row over alleged adulteration of ghee used in making the laddus offered as prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati.The controversy erupted in September 2024 after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat was used in preparing the temple laddus during the previous YSRCP government. On September 30, 2024, the Supreme Court pulled up Naidu for making public statements on the alleged adulteration while the probe was underway, observing that “we expect the Gods to be kept away from politics.”
