Tirupati Laddu Case Trial Stays In AP

The Supreme Court on November 5, 2026, dismissed a petition seeking to move the Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration trial out of Andhra Pradesh. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant found that the petitioner had failed to establish grounds for shifting the proceedings to a neighbouring state. The case concerns allegations involving ghee used to prepare laddus distributed as prasadam at the Tirupati temple.

The dispute before the Supreme Court centred on where the trial should take place. With the transfer plea dismissed, the trial court in Andhra Pradesh will continue to hear the case and assess the evidence concerning the alleged adulteration.

Tirupati Laddu Case Transfer Plea

Machindra Shantaram Lanke, a Maharashtra-based dairy businessman named as one of the accused, sought the transfer on fair-trial grounds. His counsel, senior advocate Siddharth Dave, argued that public statements by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had created a politically hostile atmosphere for the proceedings.

Dave urged the bench to consider moving the trial to a neighbouring state, where he argued the dispute carried less political and emotional weight. The plea asked the Supreme Court to consider whether the climate surrounding the case in Andhra Pradesh could affect the fairness of the trial. The bench concluded that the circumstances presented at the hearing did not justify changing the venue.

Tirupati Laddu Case Hearing And Next Steps

During the hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant referred to an earlier Supreme Court order addressing public statements about the case. He told Lanke’s counsel that the petitioner could approach the court again if fresh concerns arose. The bench then dismissed the transfer plea, leaving the Andhra Pradesh trial court to hear the evidence and decide the underlying allegations.