Maverick politician and senior advocate Subramanian Swamy, known for taking up most litigant cases, has once again come to the rescue of YSR Congress party which is facing the allegations of adulteration of ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for making of famed Tirupati laddu during the previous regime.
On Saturday, Swamy filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to appoint a one-member committee to examine the report of special investigation team (SIT).
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had earlier issued key directions in connection with the alleged adulteration of Tirumala laddus and ordered a thorough investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Following a prolonged probe, the SIT filed a charge sheet detailing the alleged irregularities in laddu preparation, supply, and quality control processes.
The findings triggered political exchanges in Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, the State government appointed a one-man committee headed by retired IAS officer Dinesh Kumar to review the SIT report and identify the alleged masterminds behind the irregularities.
Swamy, in his petition, has objected to the constitution of Dinesh Kumar committee, arguing that once the Supreme Court-appointed SIT is in place and the matter is under the apex court’s consideration, the State government cannot set up another parallel mechanism.
The petition has been listed for hearing before a Bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the SIT, the CBI, and the TTD have been named as respondents.
Given the political sensitivity of the laddu issue in Andhra Pradesh, the upcoming hearing is being closely watched.