Supreme Court Upholds Andhra's Independent Inquiry in Tirumala Laddu Row

The Supreme Court refused to restrain a one-member panel from reviewing a Special Investigation Team report on the Tirumala laddu controversy. The court highlighted no conflict with the ongoing SIT probe and supported both legal and administrative inquiries to proceed, clarifying the scope is well demarcated.

In a pivotal decision, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea to halt a review by a one-member committee appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government on the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) report concerning the Tirumala laddu controversy.

Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that the SIT's probe into the allegations of animal fat usage in the famous Tirupati laddus was complete, with charges filed. The court clarified there was no overlap between the judicial and administrative processes. The Supreme Court formed the SIT to address public concerns last October.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy criticized the state's parallel investigation, but the court upheld that the additional administrative review conducted by Andhra Pradesh did not conflict with SIT findings. Meanwhile, the controversy stirred political tensions, with accusations between the ruling and opposition parties intensifying.

(With inputs from agencies.)