3 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Monday (February 23, 2026) said an administrative enquiry conducted into the lapses which led to the alleged adulteration of the ineffable Tirumala ‘Srivari laddu prasadam’ cannot beryllium said to either overlap oregon interfere with the transgression proceedings into the affair.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said the one-man committee administrative enquiry initiated by the Andhra Pradesh authorities would not travel successful the mode of transgression proceedings successful which aggregate chargesheets person already been filed successful court.
The administrative enquiry was initiated to place the lapses which led to the omissions successful the mentation of the laddus. The probe would besides delve into the quality of the slip-up, the persons liable and consequences thereof.
“Such an administrative enquiry, successful our considered opinion, cannot beryllium said to overlap the transgression proceedings, which already culminated into a chargesheet and supplementary chargesheet,” Chief Justice Kant observed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing successful the case, said the transgression probe was complete. The FIR successful the laddu adulteration was registered successful 2024. Eventually, the probe was entrusted to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of officers and agencies successful April of the aforesaid year.
The tribunal was proceeding a plea by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, who contended that a parallel probe by the State would undercut the transgression proceedings.
Mr. Mehta said the SIT had recovered administrative lapses during its transgression investigation, and had duly intimated the State government.
The 11-page SIT study had outlined superior irregularities, regularisation violations and alleged deliberate misconduct that had taken spot betwixt 2019 and 2024. It had recommended stringent enactment against those responsible.
The SIT, successful its Self-Contained Note (SCN), had highlighted the relation of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Purchase Committee successful the alleged adulterated ghee episode. It had recommended that the authorities instrumentality suitable enactment arsenic deemed acceptable against the erring committee members and elder TTD officials for “deliberate omissions and failures successful some relaxation and enforcement of tender conditions.”
According to the SIT, violations had occurred astatine each signifier of the process — from modification of tender conditions to procurement and proviso of ghee, raising superior questions astir oversight and accountability wrong the committee. The SIT has besides pointed retired that large changes had been made to the tender conditions successful 2020, allegedly without immoderate technological survey oregon owed diligence, enabling ineligible companies to enactment successful the bidding process.
