Now Reading: Supreme Court refuses to move Tirupati laddu trial out of Andhra
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Supreme Court refuses to move Tirupati laddu trial out of Andhra
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 5 November 2026, declined to transfer the trial in the alleged Tirupati laddu adulteration case out of Andhra Pradesh. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi rejected a petition from Machindra Shantaram Lanke and his dairy company M/s Malganga Milk and Agro Products. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave argued that political statements by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan made a fair trial impossible within the state.
CJI Kant observed that the court had already ‘silenced them all with our order’ and said the petitioners could approach again if issues arise. The controversy began in September 2024 when Naidu alleged animal fat was used in ghee for the laddu prasadam during the previous YSRCP government. A CBI-led SIT filed its charge sheet on 23 January 2026 in the Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Nellore. The Hindu reports that the CBI and ED investigations revealed a Rs 250 crore scam involving 68 lakh kg of fake ghee supplied to TTD between 2019 and 2024.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All five outlets report the same court outcome: the Supreme Court refused to transfer the Tirupati laddu trial out of Andhra Pradesh. The copy is nearly identical across Deccan Chronicle, Orissa Post, Sambad English and Hans India, wire-style coverage that quotes the petitioners’ argument and the CJI’s response. The Hindu adds two new facts the others omit: it names the scam size (Rs 250 crore) and the volume of ghee supplied (68 lakh kg between 2019 and 2024), giving the story a financial dimension the rest leave out. It also includes Justice Bagchi’s remark that the CBI-led probe was insulated from state-level commentary, which none of the other outlets quote. The uniform framing is neutral throughout: no outlet takes a side on the political allegations or the court’s reasoning.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): deccanchronicle.com (neutral report), Syndicated copy (carried by orissapost.com, sambadenglish.com, thehansindia.com), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 5 November 2026: this story now draws on 5 sources.
