Supreme Court rejects plea against Andhra panel in Tirupati laddu adulteration case

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition filed by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to appoint a one-member committee to examine administrative lapses in the alleged adulteration of ghee used in Tirumala laddus.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant held that the state’s departmental inquiry and the court-monitored investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) operate in separate domains and may continue simultaneously. Justice Joymalya Bagchi was also part of the Bench.

The petition contended that the one-man panel could interfere with the SIT probe earlier ordered by the apex court into allegations that adulterated ghee had been supplied for the preparation of prasadam laddus at the Tirupati temple.

Rejecting the plea, the court observed that its primary concern was to ensure there was no duplication between the administrative process and the criminal investigation. It noted that the petitioner had failed to establish sufficient grounds warranting judicial intervention. The Bench directed that both processes must continue strictly in accordance with the law.

During the hearing, senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, argued that the petition had been filed with mala fide intent to stall departmental proceedings.

The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, had on 3 February approved the constitution of the committee to identify those responsible for the alleged adulteration. According to a government order, retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar has been tasked with examining the Self-Contained Note (SCN) submitted by the SIT and recommending appropriate action against members and senior officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

The committee has been given 45 days to submit its report. Its mandate is confined to governance and administrative issues, including scrutiny of tender relaxations, enforcement of ghee procurement norms, and determination of administrative accountability. It may recommend disciplinary or other departmental action where warranted.

On 4 October 2024, the Supreme Court had entrusted the investigation into the alleged adulteration to an independent SIT under the supervision of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI-led SIT filed its final charge sheet before an Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Nellore on 23 January 2026 and submitted the SCN suggesting administrative action against certain officials.

According to the charge sheet, the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute analysed four sealed ghee samples drawn in July 2024 from tankers supplied to TTD. Laboratory findings detected no traces of lard or animal fat. However, investigators concluded that the ghee had been adulterated with a blend of vegetable oils and synthetic esters formulated to mimic standard dairy characteristics.

Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to probe suspected financial irregularities linked to the case. The agency initiated its inquiry on the basis of the SIT’s charge sheets.

Sources indicated that the ED is examining allegations of hawala transactions, with private dairy firms and intermediaries allegedly routing bribes through informal channels to influence TTD officials involved in ghee tenders and quality clearances. The investigation will focus on tracing the money trail and determining the role of the alleged hawala network.

With IANS inputs