The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government to probe into the Tirupati Laddu adulteration episode, has been instructed to pause the investigation till the next hearing on the matter in the Supreme Court, scheduled for October 3.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said the SIT was formed to probe the Tirupati Laddoo case and the suspension is a precautionary measure to ensure the investigation’s integrity.
The probe panel, appointed amid a row over the presence of animal fats in Tirupati laddus, was led by Guntur Range Inspector General of Police, Sarvashresth Tripathi. However, it will remain suspended until further orders in the wake of the ongoing hearing on the matter in the apex court.
Tirupati Laddoo Row: SC Hearing
The Supreme Court on Monday, September 30, criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for making public allegations about the use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of laddoos offered as prasadam at Tirumala Tirupati Temple.
The bench, comprising justices Bhushan R Gavai and KV Viswanathan, noted that there was no substantial ground to prove that the ghee was adulterated, and rebuked the state government for making a premature statement at a stage when it was not needed to support the claim that animal fat was used.
In a blow to the state government in the hot-button issue, the bench said, “When you hold a constitutional office, it is expected that you exercise restraint…We expect Gods to be kept away from politics…Prima facie, there is no concrete proof at this stage to show that adulterated ghee was used in the laddus.” It fixed October 3 as the next date of the hearing.
Naidu’s Big Claim
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu stoked a massive controversy after claiming that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were discovered in the laddus served as prasad at Tirupati temple during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government.
Flagging a private lab report from Gujarat, Naidu alleged the presence of “beef tallow,” “lard” (relating to pig fat) and fish oil in the ghee used for Tirupati laddoos. Meanwhile, Reddy vehemently denied the allegations and accused Naidu of doing ‘politics in the name of god.’
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