Tirupati laddu adulteration case: One-man panel can continue probe, rules SC

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging Andhra Pradeshrsquos constitution of a oneman committee to recommend suitable departmental action against erring officials in the case relating to the supply of allegedly adulterated ghee for Tirumala laddus A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India CJI Surya Kant observed that the administrative inquiry ordered by the state government and the top courtdirected investigation by the Special Investigation Team SIT operate in distinct spheres and can continue simultaneouslyThe writ petition alleged that the oneman committee interfered with the SIT investigation earlier ordered by the apex court in relation to allegations of adulteration of ghee used in the preparation of prasadam laddus at the Tirupati templeDismissing the plea the CJI Kantled bench observed that the top courtrsquos only concern was to ensure that there was no overlap between the two processesldquoIn our opinion the administrative inquiry cannot be overlapping with the probe directed by this courtrdquo the Bench also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed adding that it was satisfied that the petitioner lacked a foundational basis to seek interferenceIn its order the Supreme Court directed that both processes should continue strictly in accordance with the lawDuring the hearing senior advocate Sidharth Luthra appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government submitted that the petition was filed with ldquocomplete malicerdquo only to derail departmental proceedingsThe decision to constitute a committee to identify the masterminds behind the alleged adulteration of Tirupati temple laddu was taken in the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on February 3 As per a government order GO issued by the Andhra Pradesh government retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar has been tasked with examining the SelfContained Note SCN submitted by the SIT and recommending initiation of action against committee members and senior officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam TTD for lapses omissions and failures in relaxation as well as enforcement of ghee tender conditionsAsking the committee to submit its report within 45 days the state governmentrsquos GO sets out the terms of reference under which the committee will assess administrative lapses examine whether decisions were taken with due diligence and procedural compliance identify administrative responsibility of officials and recommend appropriate disciplinary or administrative action confining its examination strictly to governance and administrative aspectsThe Supreme Court on October 4 2024 had entrusted the investigation of the alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddus to an independent SIT under the supervision of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI After completion of the investigation the CBIled SIT filed its final charge sheet before an AntiCorruption Bureau court in Nellore on January 23 2026 and submitted the SCN recommending administrative action against certain officialsThe charge sheet cited findings of the ICARNational Dairy Research Institute Karnal which analysed four sealed ghee samples drawn by TTD from tankers supplied in July 2024 The laboratory report found no presence of lard or animal fat in the samples However investigators concluded that the ghee was adulterated with a cocktail of vegetable oils and laboratory esters designed to chemically mimic dairy parametersMeanwhile the Enforcement Directorate ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report ECIR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to probe alleged financial irregularities linked to the adulteration caseThe ED initiated the investigation on the basis of chargesheets filed by the CBIled SIT Sources indicated allegations of hawalabased transactions with private dairy firms and intermediaries allegedly routing bribes through hawala channels to influence TTD officials responsible for ghee tenders and quality clearances The agency will examine the money trail and the role of the alleged hawala networkThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever