The Andhra Pradesh government has halted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the making of Tirupati laddus, pending the next Supreme Court hearing on October 3. This decision comes a day after the Supreme Court raised concerns over the state’s public claim that animal fat had been found in the laddus, despite inconclusive evidence.
Andhra’s top police officer, Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, said the move was a precautionary measure aimed at preserving the integrity of the investigation. “We have paused the probe in light of the ongoing Supreme Court hearing. Our team conducted inspections, recorded statements, and carried out a preliminary investigation,” he said.
Earlier this week, the SIT inspected a flour mill in Tirumala where the ghee used to make laddus, distributed as prasadam to millions of devotees at the famous hill shrine, is stored.
An FIR was registered on September 25, and the SIT was formed on September 26 to investigate the matter. However, on October 2, the Supreme Court criticized the Andhra Pradesh government for making public claims without solid proof.
“It is clear from the report that this is not the ghee in question. How could you go public without being sure?” remarked Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan.
The court emphasized that politics should not interfere with matters of faith and hinted that the investigation might be transferred to an independent agency.
The controversy erupted when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, citing a lab report, claimed that the ghee used to make laddus during the previous YSRCP regime contained beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied these allegations.
