Tirupati Temple Ghee Adulteration Case | Supreme Court Refuses To Transfer Trial Out Of Andhra Pradesh
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea to transfer the trial of the Tirupati temple ladoo ghee adulteration case out of Andhra Pradesh.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana refused to entertain a petition filed by Machindra Shantaram Lanke, a Maharashtra-based dairy industry businessman and the Managing Director of Malganga Milk and Agro Products Pvt Ltd, who is named as one of the accused.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, for the petitioner, submitted that the political leaders were continuing to make statements regarding the case, which created a hostile atmosphere for free trial. "It has become a political issue. There is a hostile environment in the state. The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister have made statements," Dave said. Even though the forensic report has ruled out the presence of animal fat in the ghee, the political leaders were indulging in such statements, he claimed.
Although the trial judge might not be influenced by the comments, a fair prosecution cannot be expected in such a scenario, Dave argued, pleading for transfer of trial to a neighbouring state. "We are only praying that it be shifted to a neighbouring state where it is not such an emotive issue," Dave sought.
"Please see the kind of statements that are being made. It causes prejudice to me in my trial. Nobody is immune from it. The trial will be in a very politically hostile environment. Only person who will suffer is me. I am being used in the fight between politicians. I am not even asking that it be brought here. Just one neighbouring state. After all, it is a CBI prosecution; most of the accused are from the north, there is a strong language barrier," Dave submitted.
The bench however expressed disinclination. The bench pointed out that the investigation was done by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Supreme Court itself. The bench further noted that most of the witnesses and the evidence are from Andhra Pradesh itself.