Supreme Court Halts Investigation on Tirupati Laddu Case Until October 3

On October 1, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Dwaraka Tirumala Rao announced that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Tirupati Laddu prasadam case will pause its investigation until October 3. This decision comes due to an ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court.

The SIT was established to investigate allegations of adulterated ghee used in the preparation of laddus at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. The suspension aims to maintain the investigation's integrity while awaiting the Supreme Court's directives.

The Supreme Court, on September 30, questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for publicly alleging the use of adulterated ghee without conclusive proof. Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan criticized the Chief Minister for potentially affecting public sentiment and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the Central government on whether an independent investigation is necessary.

The court is hearing petitions from various individuals, including Rajya Sabha MP Subramanium Swamy and ex-TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, seeking a court-monitored investigation into the allegations. The petitions claim that the TDP-led Andhra Pradesh government accused the previous YSRCP regime of using adulterated ghee in the laddus.

Senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra, representing Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), mentioned that complaints about the laddus' quality and possible contamination were under investigation, with lab reports indicating contamination.

The Supreme Court will issue further directives on October 3, determining whether the SIT should continue its investigation or if an independent agency should take over.