The Supreme Court on Friday reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe allegations of adulteration in the famed Tirupati laddoos and directed that the investigation be carried out under the supervision of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The apex court emphasized that it would not allow the case to be used as a platform for political maneuvering, making it clear that it had not examined the merits of the allegations and counter-allegations involved in the matter.

A bench led by Justice B.R. Gavai restructured the SIT, which will now include two officers from the Andhra Pradesh Police, two nominated by the CBI Director, and one representative from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The court also clarified that its decision to reconstitute the team should not be seen as a reflection on the integrity of the officers in the original SIT, constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government.

The Supreme Court was hearing a series of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into claims that animal fat had been used in the preparation of the iconic Tirupati laddoos, a charge that sparked widespread outrage.

During previous hearings, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta had been asked to obtain instructions on whether the investigation should remain with the Andhra Pradesh Police or be transferred to an independent agency. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Police temporarily paused the SIT probe after the controversy caught the Supreme Court’s attention.

In its initial observations, the Supreme Court found no prima facie evidence to suggest that animal fat was used in making the laddoos during the tenure of the previous state government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, the court criticized Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for prematurely making public statements on the matter, even before the FIR was lodged on September 25 and the SIT was formed the next day.

“We are, prima facie, of the view that it was inappropriate for a high constitutional functionary to make a public statement that could affect the sentiments of millions of devotees when the investigation was still ongoing,” the court noted, adding that Chief Minister Naidu should have “kept the gods away from politics.”

The controversy arose after Naidu, on September 18, claimed that lard (animal fat) was used in the preparation of the laddoos under the previous administration. The Supreme Court underscored that such a statement should not have been made prior to the lodging of the FIR and the official commencement of the investigation.