A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has commenced its inquiry into allegations of adulterated ghee being used in the preparation of the famed laddu prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills.
The alleged malpractice is said to have occurred during the previous YSRCP regime.
The Supreme Court, in an order dated 4 October, directed the formation of an independent SIT to investigate accusations that animal fat was used in the preparation of the sacred laddu offering.
The probe will be overseen by the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The SIT comprises five members, including two officials each from the CBI and Andhra Pradesh Police, and one from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“The probe has commenced,” said Sarvashresth Tripathi, a senior IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh Police and a member of the SIT, in a statement to PTI. He refrained from disclosing further details of the investigation.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the SIT has established an office in Tirupati and initiated its operations.
The team is scrutinising records from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) related to ghee procurement under the previous regime, including quality assessment and procurement procedures.
The investigation is based on an FIR lodged by the Andhra Pradesh government at Tirupati East Police Station, which brought the allegations into focus.
Political fallout
The allegations sparked a political furore after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in September, accused the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government of using animal fat in the sacred offering.
Naidu's remarks triggered sharp reactions from the YSR Congress Party, which dismissed the claims as “heinous allegations” made for political gain. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) countered by circulating a laboratory report purportedly supporting the accusations.
The Supreme Court's directive to constitute the SIT came following petitions filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Y V Subba Reddy, and others.
The court mandated that the investigation be conducted impartially and under the CBI’s supervision.
The SIT’s findings are expected to have far-reaching implications, as the case touches upon both religious sentiments and political rivalries in Andhra Pradesh.
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