Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 4: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Andhra Pradesh police constituted by the state government to probe into the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in preparing laddoo “prasadam” of the famous Tirupati temple and substituted it with an independent SIT incorporating the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into it.
The SIT constituted by the apex court would include two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh State Police officers, and a representative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The court clarified that the constitution of the independent SIT was not a remark on the current SIT set up by the State government. “The independent SIT was formed to assuage the feelings of crores of people who worship the Tirumala Tirupati temple deity,” the Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan explained.
The two CBI officers in the new SIT would be nominated by the agency’s Director. The State police officers would be picked by the Andhra Pradesh government. The FSSAI representative would be chosen by the authority chairperson. The investigation would be carried out under the director of the CBI.
The bench said they do not want political drama over this since it is a matter of faith for crores of devotees across the world. The allegations have the potential of hurting the sentiments of people worldwide, the bench said, but did not go into the political charges.
“We clarify that we have not gone into allegations and counter allegations in either plea. We will not permit the court to be used as a political battleground. To assuage feelings of crores of people, we find that an investigation by an independent SIT consisting of representatives of state police, CBI, and FSSAI, shall be done. We also direct that investigation is under the director of CBI,” said Justice Gavai.
The court has disposed of the petitions, including one by former Rajya Sabha member Dr Subramanian Swamy. The pleas had sought an independent probe into the allegations by a retired Supreme Court judge or High Court Chief Justice. The court had agreed that the allegations had the “potential to hurt the sentiments of people world-wide.”
Earlier in the day, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he had no problem with the SIT constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government. “They are competent,” he noted and suggested the SIT may be supervised by a senior police officer from the Centre.
Andhra Pradesh State too agreed for the Supreme Court adding members of its choice. Appearing for the State, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said there was conclusive proof that lard (animal fat from pig) was used. “The lab report was of July. The CM was speaking on the completion of 100 days. The media took a few lines and quoted the CM out of context.”
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal asked why the current Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple complex, dispensation in the State allow contaminated ghee to enter the temple premises on July 6 and July 12, to which TTD senior advocate Siddharth Luthra said it had used the same contact given by the previous regime. Justice Gavai intervened: “We don’t want any political drama. Fortunately or unfortunately, both sides are warring groups.”
The Bench made it clear that it would not permit the Supreme Court to be made into a political battleground for rival parties to trade allegations and counter-allegations. On September 30, the bench observed that Gods should be kept away from politics as it questioned AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s public statement that animal fat was allegedly used in making Tirupati laddoos under the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime.
The apex court had said the laboratory test report was “not clear at all” and it prima facie indicated that “rejected ghee” was subjected to the test.
The Solicitor General representing the centre, told the court it was unacceptable since devotees from across the country visit the temple and there were food safety reasons as well. “Nobody doubts it’s a very serious matter if there is substance in allegations,” observed Justice Gavai.
Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had denied the allegations and had accused Mr Naidu of “using faith for politics.” The temple authorities, however, had supported Mr Naidu’s allegations and have accused their ghee supplier of exploiting the temple’s lack of in-house food testing facilities for playing the fraud.
The Dindigul, Tamil Nadu-based dairy farm, which was accused of supplying the ghee mixed with animal fat, has also refuted the allegations and had claimed that its consignments had cleared lab tests and that it had documents to prove it.