Today, On 1st October, The Andhra Pradesh government stayed the SIT investigation into the Tirupati laddu controversy following a Supreme Court directive. This decision comes a day after the Supreme Court raised multiple concerns about the case. The controversy involves the alleged mismanagement of the famous Tirupati laddu. The SIT probe will remain on hold until the Supreme Court hearing.
The Andhra Pradesh government temporarily stayed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations of adulteration in the ghee used to make Tirupati laddus.
This stay will remain in place until the next Supreme Court hearing on October 3.
The move follows a stern response from the Supreme Court, which criticized the state for publicly claiming that animal fat was allegedly found in the laddus’ ghee, despite a lack of conclusive evidence.
Andhra Pradesh police chief Dwaraka Tirumala Rao stated that the suspension was a “precautionary measure” aimed at safeguarding the investigation’s integrity.
He confirmed that inspections, statements, and a preliminary investigation had already been carried out by the SIT. Earlier, the team inspected a flour mill in Tirumala, where ghee is stored before its use in making laddus, distributed as prasadam to the temple’s devotees. The SIT formed on September 26, following the registration of an FIR a day earlier.
The Supreme Court previously reprimanded the state for making public accusations without sufficient proof, leading to this current suspension.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan remarked,
“It is very clear from the report that this is not the ghee that was used. Unless you are certain, how did you make this public?”
The court emphasized that politics should remain separate from matters of faith, suggesting that the investigation might be handed over to an independent agency.
The controversy began when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, citing a lab report, alleged that beef tallow, lard (pig fat), and fish oil had been used in the ghee for the laddus during the previous YSRCP government. Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied these claims.