The Supreme Court scheduled the hearing of a plea filed by the CBI Director, challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s order that held him in violation of the Apex Court’s directions. The issue pertains to the investigation into allegations of adulterated ghee in the prasadam at Tirumala Tirupati Temple, where the High Court observed that an officer not formally part of the SIT had been tasked with carrying out the probe.
When the matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta requested adjournment, explaining that the investigation was still ongoing. Considering this, the bench agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in its judgment, noted that one of the officers, J. Venkat Rao, had not been officially designated as a member of the SIT constituted under the Apex Court’s earlier directions. Consequently, the High Court held that Rao could not function as part of the SIT or undertake investigative responsibilities.
The observations arose in a plea filed by Kaduru Chinnappanna, who contended that he had received notices from Rao to appear before the SIT, during which he was “compelled, intimidated, and coerced” into giving statements that were allegedly scripted. The petitioner argued that the statements were recorded under duress, and requested directions for a free and fair investigation by the properly constituted SIT.
The petitioner further highlighted that despite Rao not being a formal member of the SIT, he had repeatedly issued notices calling upon the petitioner to appear as a witness at the SIT office in Tirupati.
The SIT was originally constituted by the Apex Court in 2024 to investigate the allegations concerning Tirumala prasadam. As per the apex court’s directions, the team comprises two officers from the CBI nominated by its Director, two officers from the Andhra Pradesh Police nominated by the State Government, and a senior official from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The Top Court’s upcoming hearing will determine whether the CBI Director’s actions were in compliance with the constitutionally mandated SIT framework and the directions issued by the Apex Court.
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