SC to hear laddu row pleas today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a batch of pleas, including those seeking a court-monitored probe, into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus on Friday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the apex court, which was scheduled to hear the matter at 3.30 pm on Thursday, that the case be taken up at 10.30 am on Friday.

"If your lordships permit, can I respond at 10.30 am sharp tomorrow," Mehta told the bench headed by Justice B R Gavai. The bench agreed to the request and said it would hear the matter on Friday. "List on October 4 as first item," the bench said in its order. Hearing the matter on September 30, the top court asked Mehta to assist it in deciding whether the investigation by the state-appointed SIT should continue or the probe should be conducted by an independent agency.

It had asked the top law officer to ponder over the issue and assist it in this regard.

On September 30, the bench observed that Gods should be kept away from politics as it questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's public statement that animal fat was allegedly used in making Tirupati laddus under the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime. The apex court had said the laboratory test report was "not clear at all" and it prima facie indicated that "rejected ghee" was subjected to the test.

It had noted that according to the state, an FIR was registered on September 25 and a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted on September 26 to probe the matter. "It could thus be seen that a statement was made by the Chief Minister on September 18, which was even before the FIR being lodged on September 25 and the SIT being constituted on September 26," the bench had said.