Supreme Court refuses to transfer Tirupati laddu ghee scam case out of Andhra Pradesh

The Supreme Court on Thursday, November 5, 2026, dismissed a plea to transfer the hearing of the multi-crore Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration case outside the state of Andhra Pradesh. The decision was taken by a bench presided over by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave appeared in court on behalf of the main accused and Maharashtra dairy industrialist Machindra Shantaram Lanke. He argued that the current atmosphere in the state of Andhra Pradesh is "politically charged." Advocate Dave further stated that the state's Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are also making public comments regarding this case that are prejudicial to a fair trial.

In response to these arguments, Justice Joymalya Bagchi clarified that the investigation of this case is being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He added that a central agency like the CBI is not influenced by any comments coming from political office-bearers or the corridors of power in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Justice Surya Kant noted in stern words, "We have quieted them all down by our order. If anything happens, you can come to us." Despite this, Advocate Dave insisted that the case should be moved to a neighbouring state where the issue is not so emotional. However, the court maintained its stance and dismissed the plea.

According to a report by The Hindu, investigations by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have revealed a massive scam. The investigation found that between 2019 and 2024, 68 lakh kg of fake and synthetic ghee was supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), involving a total scam of ₹250 crore.