The Supreme Court of India on Friday ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT), supervised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to probe allegations that the previous Andhra Pradesh government used substandard ghee containing animal fat in the preparation of Tirupati laddus. The controversy, which has drawn nationwide attention, has the potential to deeply hurt the religious sentiments of devotees of Sri Venkateswara Temple.
The newly constituted SIT will comprise representatives from the CBI, state police, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The Supreme Court, while passing the order, emphasized the need for an independent investigation to “assuage the feelings of crores of people” who have faith in the deity. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan stressed that the SIT was being formed to ensure transparency and public trust, although it clarified that the order was not meant to question the fairness or independence of the state’s existing SIT.
“We have constituted this committee only to allay the concerns of millions of devotees. Our order should not be construed as a reflection on the independence of the state’s SIT,” the bench stated. The top court refrained from commenting on the merits of the allegations, underscoring that it would not allow the court to be turned into a “political battleground.”
The controversy erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, citing a lab report, claimed that animal fat and fish oil had been detected in the ghee used to make the laddus during the previous YSRCP regime. The issue sparked heated political debate, with Naidu’s public remarks drawing sharp criticism from various quarters, including the Supreme Court. In an earlier hearing, the court criticized the Chief Minister for making such claims without conclusive evidence. According to the lab report, impurities were detected in ghee samples that had been rejected, not those used in the laddus.
The current hearing witnessed intense arguments between senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners. Rohatgi defended the state government’s SIT, while Sibal argued for an independent probe, claiming the impartiality of the investigation had been compromised.
The Supreme Court has now ordered that the CBI director will monitor the SIT investigation to ensure a fair and impartial probe into the serious allegations.
