The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking transfer of the trial in the Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case from Andhra Pradesh, citing the presence of several witnesses from the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed the petition filed by accused Machindra Shantaram Lanke, a Maharashtra-based dairy businessman and Managing Director of Malganga Milk and Agro Products Pvt Ltd.
Appearing for Lanke, senior advocate Siddharth Dave argued that continued statements by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had created a politically hostile atmosphere, prejudicing his client's right to a fair trial.
Dave pointed out that a forensic report had ruled out the presence of animal fat in the ghee but political leaders continued to make statements on the issue.
Seeking transfer of the trial to a neighbouring state, he said most of the accused were from North India and faced a language barrier in Andhra Pradesh. He added that the case had become a political issue and his client was being caught in the crossfire between political parties.
Responding to the submissions, CJI Surya Kant said, "We have silenced them all with our order. If something happens, you can come to us".
The bench, however, said shifting the trial would cause inconvenience as several witnesses were from Andhra Pradesh. It also noted that the investigation had been conducted by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Supreme Court.
"We are not inclined to transfer the trial. Dismissed," the bench said.
On October 4, 2024, the Supreme Court constituted a five-member independent SIT to investigate allegations that animal fat was used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus during the previous YSR Congress Party government.
The court had said its intervention was aimed at "assuaging the feelings of crores of people" and cautioned against turning the issue into a "political battleground".
The panel comprised two officers each from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Andhra Pradesh Police, along with a senior official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It was directed to function under the supervision of the CBI director.
The independent panel replaced an SIT constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government on September 26, 2024.
The controversy erupted after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat had been used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
The allegation triggered a political row, with the YSR Congress Party accusing Naidu of making false claims for political gain, while the ruling Telugu Desam Party cited a laboratory report to support its allegations.
The Supreme Court had constituted the independent SIT while hearing a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged adulteration of the temple prasadam.
(With inputs from PTI)