The Andhra Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team probing the allegation of 'adulteration' of Tirupati laddus with animal fats has been stalled on Tuesday following the Supreme Court hearing on the same matter.
Andhra Pradesh DGP Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao clarified that this temporary halt was done because the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court now.
The controversy started when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed, based on a lab report, that the ghee used in making laddus during the previous YSRCP government contained beef fat, pig fat, and fish oil.
Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied these allegations.
The DGP further said, "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)."
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 heard a batch of pleas on Monday including those seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus.
The apex court bench comprising of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said, "It is very clear from the report that this is not the ghee which has been used. Unless you are sure, how did you go into public with that?"
The court suggested the state government led by CM Chandrababu Naidu, to keep "Goods out of politics" during the hearing and hinted that the ongoing probe might be transferred from state-monitored team to an independent agency.
An FIR was registered on the matter on September 25 and then on September 26, an SIT was constituted to probe the matter.
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.
