Tirupati laddu row: Andhra govt withholds SIT probe until SC hearing

Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh DGP Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on Tuesday said that the state government constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) will temporarily stall its probe into the alleged 'adulteration' of Tirupati laddus with animal fats case as the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

Over the last two days, the SIT has probed the procurement and sampling processes, trying to understand how it is possible to adulterate the laddus, said Rao.

"First they (SIT) have to understand the process, study it and take all the information, but in the meantime, an order has come from the Supreme Court and in line with that, we have stopped it (probe)," the DGP said while speaking to reporters.

When the case is being examined under the purview of the apex court, it is not appropriate to talk more, he said, hinting at the next hearing of the case in the Supreme Court on October 3.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas, including those seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus.

Earlier, CM Naidu had expressed concern over the quality of ghee as well as Laddu and highlighted complaints of the presence of animal fat in the sweet, Rao told reporters here. Subsequently, suppliers were warned of blacklisting if they provided poor quality ghee.

Later, samples of ghee were sent for analysis after four truckloads of ghee were not found to be of good quality. A lab value indicated the sample was adulterated with Lard (pig fat) also, Rao said.

PTI