The Andhra Pradesh government has paused the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged adulteration of ghee used for making Tirupati laddus until the Supreme Court hearing on October 3. This decision was made after the Supreme Court criticized the state government for making public claims that animal fat was used in the laddus without having solid evidence.
Andhra Pradesh’s top police officer, Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, stated that the probe was temporarily halted as a "precautionary measure" to maintain the investigation’s integrity. He confirmed that the team had already conducted several inspections, recorded statements, and completed a preliminary inquiry.
The controversy began when the SIT, formed on September 26, inspected the flour mill in Tirumala where ghee is stored before being used in the laddus, which are given as prasadam to millions of devotees visiting the temple each year.
An FIR was filed on September 25, and the SIT was established the next day. However, the Supreme Court questioned the government’s actions, noting there was no evidence to prove that contaminated ghee had been used. The court pointed out that politics should not interfere with matters of faith and suggested that the investigation might be handed over to an independent agency.
The issue started when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, referring to a lab report, claimed that beef tallow, lard (pig fat), and fish oil were found in the ghee used to make laddus during the previous YSRCP government. Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied these accusations.
- Tags:
- Latest news
0 Comments:
Leave a Reply