The Supreme Court has directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under CBI supervision to investigate claims that substandard ghee, allegedly containing animal fat, was used in preparing the famous Tirupati laddus during the previous Andhra Pradesh government's tenure. The SIT will include two state police officers and a representative from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The bench, consisting of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, emphasized that the investigation aims to address the concerns of millions of devotees, without implying any bias toward the state-constituted SIT. The court’s decision came after a heated hearing, where the seriousness of the claims and their potential to hurt religious sentiments were highlighted.

Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, argued that the state’s SIT should continue with the probe, while Kapil Sibal, representing a petitioner, pushed for an independent investigation due to the Chief Minister's earlier statements. The Supreme Court refrained from commenting on the political aspects of the case but stressed the need for a neutral investigation given the allegations' gravity.

In the previous hearing, the court criticized the public airing of allegations without solid evidence, noting that a lab report showed the ghee with impurities had been rejected, rather than used in the laddus.