On October 4, the Supreme Court directed the establishment of an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine claims regarding the use of adulterated ghee and inferior ingredients in the laddus offered as prasadam at the Tirumala Tirupati Temple.
SIT will comprise two officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), nominated by the CBI director, alongside two officers from the Andhra Pradesh State Police and a senior official from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
A bench led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan has been considering a series of petitions calling for a court-monitored inquiry into the laddu controversy. In the previous hearing on September 30, the court emphasized the need for a central investigation, criticizing comments made by Chandrababu Naidu.
Addressing Devotees’ Concerns
The Supreme Court highlighted the emotional stakes for the millions of devotees involved, noting, “Both are warring groups… lakhs of devotees’ faith is at stake,” as reported by LiveLaw. The bench stressed that the court should not be turned into a “political battleground.”
Serious Allegations
At the outset of the case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed that it would be “unacceptable” if any truth were found in allegations of the use of “beef tallow,” “fish oil,” and other substandard ingredients in the prasadam. He acknowledged that while the state government’s SIT members were capable and independent, their investigation could be supervised by central officials.
