Tirupati laddu row: CBI to oversee investigation, Supreme Court appoints special team

On Friday, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to oversee an inquiry by a special investigation team (SIT) into claims made by the former Andhra Pradesh government that Tirupati laddus were made with inferior ghee that contained animal fat. Two state police officials and one representative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would also be included in the SIT.

The FSSAI, state police, and CBI will make up the new inquiry team. The claims might damage people’s feelings all throughout the world, according to the Supreme Court.

The apex court, however, clarified that it was passing the order to assuage the feelings of the crores of devotees of the famed Sri Venkateswara Temple.

“We clarify that our order should not be construed as a reflection on the independence and fairness of the members of the state SIT. We have constituted the committee only to assuage the feelings of crores of people having faith in the deity,” the Supreme Court said.

The Supreme Court, however, refrained from making any comment on the merits of the allegations and counter-allegations in the matter, saying that it would not permit the court to be used as a “political battleground”.

HEARING SEES HEATED ARGUMENT

The controversy erupted last month after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, citing a lab report, claimed that in the Prasadam of Tirupati animal fat and fish oil were found in the ghee that was used to make the laddus during the previous YSRCP regime.

Senior Attorney Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, and Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, got into a heated debate during the hearing.

Rohatgi stated that the investigation should be continued by the SIT established by the state government. “Any officer designated by the court may be added. No claim may be made against the SIT. We can’t rely just on a story from the newspaper,” he declared.

According to Kapil Sibal,Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks had jeopardized the impartiality, and a separate committee needed to look into the situation.

The investigation was put under CBI supervision by the Supreme Court, which declared the accusations to be extremely serious.