SC declines to shift Tirupati laddu adulteration trial outside Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to transfer the trial in the alleged Tirupati laddu adulteration case outside Andhra Pradesh, holding that no case was made out for shifting the proceedings to another state at this stage.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a criminal transfer petition filed by Machindra Shantaram Lanke and M/s Malganga Milk and Agro Products, seeking transfer of the trial from Andhra Pradesh.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Siddharth Dave submitted that political statements were continuously being made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan, raising concerns over the fairness of the prosecution.

"Prosecution has to be fair," Dave submitted, urging the top court to shift the trial to a neighbouring state where the matter would not carry the same emotive significance.

Responding to the submissions, the CJI Kant-led Bench observed that the Supreme Court had already "silenced them all with our order", adding that the petitioners could approach the apex court again if any such issue arose.

It accordingly declined to grant the relief, holding that no case had been made out for shifting the trial outside Andhra Pradesh.

The development comes amid the politically charged controversy surrounding allegations of adulteration of ghee used in the preparation of laddus offered as 'prasadam' at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati.

The controversy had erupted in September 2024 after Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat was used in the preparation of the temple's laddus during the previous YSRCP government. On September 30, 2024, the Supreme Court had admonished Chandrababu Naidu for making public statements on the alleged adulteration while an investigation was underway, observing that "we expect the Gods to be kept away from politics".

The apex court had subsequently, on October 4, 2024, entrusted the investigation to an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI-led SIT filed its final charge sheet before an Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Nellore on January 23, 2026, after completing the investigation.

The charge sheet referred to findings of the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, which analysed four sealed ghee samples drawn by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) from tankers supplied in July 2024. The laboratory report found no presence of lard or animal fat in the samples.

However, investigators concluded that the ghee had been adulterated with a mixture of vegetable oils and laboratory esters allegedly designed to mimic the chemical parameters of dairy products.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to investigate alleged financial irregularities linked to the case.

In March 2026, Naidu reportedly reiterated his allegations against the previous government, accusing it of attempting to tarnish the reputation of the temple and spreading false propaganda over the CBI-led SIT report.

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