The Supreme Court has ordered a fresh investigation into the Tirupati laddu controversy, forming a new five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) consisting of officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Andhra Pradesh Police, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ¹. The SIT probe will be monitored by the CBI director to ensure impartiality.

The investigation was prompted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government, sparking a massive political row ¹. The Supreme Court observed that Gods should be kept away from politics and questioned Naidu’s public statement, emphasizing that it was not appropriate for a high constitutional functionary to make such a statement.

The court’s decision comes after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the probe by the SIT can be supervised by a senior official of the central government ¹. The YSR Congress Party has accused Naidu of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains.