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The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking to shift the trial in the multi-crore Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case outside Andhra Pradesh, ruling that the Central Bureau of Investigation probe remains unaffected by political commentary in the state. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant rejected the plea filed by Maharashtra-based dairy businessman Machindra Shantaram Lanke, one of the prime accused in the alleged ₹250 crore scam.
CBI Probe Insulated From Political Atmosphere, Says Bench
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Siddharth Dave argued that remarks made by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister had created a highly charged political atmosphere that could jeopardize a fair trial. Counsel urged the court to transfer the proceedings to a neighbouring state to ensure the case was heard away from external pressures and regional political attention.
The Bench rejected these contentions, holding that public commentary within Andhra Pradesh was insufficient ground to move the case. Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that because the investigation is handled by a central agency, it would not be swayed by remarks from state political leaders. Chief Justice Surya Kant pointed out that previous judicial orders had already safeguarded the independence of the inquiry, noting that the court had silenced outside commentary with its directives while assuring the petitioner that he could approach the apex court again if genuine prejudice arises.
Allegations of ₹250 Crore Fake Ghee Supply to Temple
The case concerns allegations of extensive adulteration in the ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala. The ingredient is central to the preparation of the temple’s laddu prasadam, an offering of deep religious and cultural value distributed to millions of devotees across the country.
Joint investigations by the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement uncovered an alleged operation involving the supply of roughly 68 lakh kilograms of fake and synthetic ghee to the shrine administration between 2019 and 2024. The scale of the adulteration, spanning several years, has drawn sharp scrutiny toward past procurement protocols and quality testing mechanisms at the shrine, turning the matter into a prominent controversy involving allegations and counter-allegations across political party lines.
Enforcement Directorate Attaches Assets Worth ₹129.85 Crore
Alongside the criminal trial, the Directorate of Enforcement initiated action against the financial network linked to the supply contracts. As part of its probe into the suspected proceeds of crime, the agency attached assets worth ₹129.85 crore belonging to dairy firms connected to the case.
By declining the transfer plea, the Supreme Court maintained that the trial must proceed within Andhra Pradesh, reaffirming its trust in the central agency’s autonomy while preserving the accused’s liberty to seek judicial intervention should any concrete threat to fair proceedings emerge.
