Tirumala Laddu controversy: Supreme Court refuses to hear petition challenging review of SIT report

New Delhi, 23 February. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear Subramanian Swamy’s plea challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to appoint a one-member committee to review the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on the Tirumala laddu controversy.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing Swamy’s petition, in which he also challenged the statements made by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister on the controversy.

CJI Surya Kant said, “Such an administrative investigation cannot be said to overlap with the criminal proceedings which led to the filing of the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet.” The court said, “There is no conflict/encroachment of interest and the scope of investigation/investigation being clearly laid down shows that the apprehensions of the petitioner are unfounded.” Both processes should continue as per law.

Swamy argued that the state government’s move undermines the authority of the SIT, which was constituted by the Supreme Court to investigate irregularities related to laddus distributed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).