Tirupati laddu row: Supreme Court to hear pleas seeking court-monitored probe today

The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions today regarding the Tirupati laddu row, where allegations have surfaced about the use of animal fats in its preparation.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear several petitions today, including those seeking a court-supervised probe into allegations of use of animal fats in the manufacture of Tirupati laddu. The hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday, was adjourned on Friday morning at the request of Attorney General Tushar Mehta.

Chief Minister’s allegations spark debate

The issue stems from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s public statement on the former Y.S. Government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. The statement triggered a political debate, with the YSR Congress party accusing Naidu of making unsubstantiated allegations for political gain.

Supreme Court questions Chief Minister’s timing

In an earlier hearing on September 30, the Supreme Court referred to Naidu's public statement that it came before the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) before filing an official FIR and ordered caution on politically charged cases.

Legal considerations

The FIR was filed on September 25 and the SIT was constituted the next day. The court expressed concern about the results of the laboratory tests, suggesting that the tests may have been conducted on “rejected butter” rather than the actual samples in question. The court is now deliberating whether the SIT should continue its probe or an independent body should take over the probe.

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