Tirupati laddu row: Administrative enquiry does not overlap criminal case, observes SC

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 23, 2026) said an administrative enquiry conducted into the lapses which led to the alleged adulteration of the sacred Tirumala ‘Srivari laddu prasadam’ cannot be said to either overlap or interfere with the criminal 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 government would not come in the way of criminal proceedings in which multiple chargesheets have already been filed in court.

The administrative enquiry was initiated to identify the lapses which led to the omissions in the preparation of the laddus. The probe would also delve into the nature of the slip-up, the persons responsible and consequences thereof.

“Such an administrative enquiry, in our considered opinion, cannot be said to overlap the criminal proceedings, which already culminated into a chargesheet and supplementary chargesheet,” Chief Justice Kant observed.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing in the case, said the criminal probe was complete. The FIR in the laddu adulteration was registered in 2024. Eventually, the investigation was entrusted to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of officers and agencies in April of the same year.

The court was hearing a plea by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, who contended that a parallel investigation by the State would undercut the criminal proceedings.

Mr. Mehta said the SIT had found administrative lapses during its criminal investigation, and had duly intimated the State government.

The 11-page SIT report had outlined serious irregularities, rule violations and alleged deliberate misconduct that had taken place between 2019 and 2024. It had recommended stringent action against those responsible.

The SIT, in its Self-Contained Note (SCN), had highlighted the role of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Purchase Committee in the alleged adulterated ghee episode. It had recommended that the government take suitable action as deemed fit against the erring committee members and senior TTD officials for “deliberate omissions and failures in both relaxation and enforcement of tender conditions.”

According to the SIT, violations had occurred at every stage of the process — from modification of tender conditions to procurement and supply of ghee, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability within the committee. The SIT has also pointed out that major changes had been made to the tender conditions in 2020, allegedly without any scientific study or due diligence, enabling ineligible companies to participate in the bidding process.