Tirupati laddu row: Supreme Court orders fresh investigation, forms 5-member SIT

Tirupati laddu case hearing: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a fresh investigation into the Tirupati laddu row and constituted a new five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT will consist of officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Andhra Pradesh Police and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

There will be two members from the CBI, two members from Andhra Pradesh Police and one from the FSSAI. The Supreme Court also said the SIT probe will be monitored by the CBI director.

Observing that it will not allow the court to be used as a “political battleground”, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan passed the order on a batch of petitions, including those seeking a court-monitored probe into the matter.

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“We don't want this to turn into a political drama,” the bench observed.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the bench that if there was any element of truth in the allegations, it was unacceptable. He suggested that the probe by the SIT can be supervised by some senior official of the central government.

Hearing the matter on September 30, the Supreme Court asked Tushar Mehta to assist it in deciding whether the investigation by the state-appointed SIT should continue or the probe should be conducted by an independent agency.

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It had asked the top law officer to ponder over the issue and assist it in this regard.

Supreme Court questioned CM Chandrababu Naidu

The bench had observed that Gods should be kept away from politics as it questioned Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's public statement that animal fat was allegedly used in making Tirupati laddus under the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime.

The apex court had said the laboratory test report was “not clear at all” and it prima facie indicated that “rejected ghee” was subjected to the test.

It had noted that according to the state, an FIR was registered on September 25 and a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted on September 26 to probe the matter.

"It could thus be seen that a statement was made by the Chief Minister on September 18, which was even before the FIR being lodged on September 25 and the SIT being constituted on September 26," the bench had said.

"We are, prima facie, of the view that it was not appropriate on the part of a high constitutional functionary to go in public to make a statement which can affect the sentiment of crores of people and when investigation to find out adulterated ghee was used to make laddus was underway," it had said.

What Chandrababu Naidu claimed

Chandrababu Naidu claimed earlier this month that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous Reddy-led government in the state, triggering a massive political row.

The YSR Congress Party has accused Naidu of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains and the ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state circulating a laboratory report to back its claim.