Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 5: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking transfer of the trial in the Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case from Andhra Pradesh, observing that shifting the proceedings would cause inconvenience as several witnesses were from the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed the petition filed by Maharashtra-based dairy businessman Machindra Shantaram Lanke, Managing Director of Malganga Milk and Agro Products Pvt Ltd, who is an accused in the case.

Appearing for Lanke, senior advocate Siddharth Dave argued that repeated statements by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had created a politically hostile atmosphere, raising concerns about his client's right to a fair trial.

Dave submitted 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. He sought transfer of the trial to a neighbouring state, arguing that most of the accused were from North India and faced language-related difficulties in Andhra Pradesh.

He further contended that the case had turned into a political controversy and that his client was caught in the crossfire between rival 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 the presence of several witnesses from Andhra Pradesh made the proposed transfer inconvenient. It also pointed out that the investigation was being conducted by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Supreme Court.
"We are not inclined to transfer the trial. Dismissed," the bench said.

The controversy dates back to September 2024, when Chief Minister Naidu alleged that animal fat had been used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus during the previous YSR Congress Party government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The allegation triggered a major political dispute, 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.

On October 4, 2024, the Supreme Court constituted a five-member independent SIT to investigate the allegations. The panel comprised two officers each from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Andhra Pradesh Police, along with a senior official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. 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.

While ordering the independent investigation, the Supreme Court said its intervention was intended to "assuage the feelings of crores of people" and cautioned against turning the issue into a "political battleground".

The court had constituted the panel while hearing petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged adulteration of the temple prasadam.