New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea filed by Subramanian Swamy challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to appoint a one-member committee to review the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on the Tirumala laddu controversy.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi heard the matter.

Rejecting the plea, the bench observed that an administrative enquiry ordered by the state government could not be treated as overlapping with criminal proceedings that had already resulted in the filing of a chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet.

“Such an administrative enquiry cannot be called as overlapping with the criminal proceedings. There is no conflict of interest or overlap, and the scope of the investigation and enquiry has been clearly demarcated,” the court said.

The bench added that the apprehensions raised by the petitioner did not have a solid foundation and allowed both processes to continue independently in accordance with law.

Swamy had contended that the state government’s move diluted the authority of the SIT, which was earlier constituted by the apex court to investigate alleged irregularities in the preparation and distribution of laddus by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

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The plea also questioned certain public statements made by the Andhra Pradesh chief minister in connection with the controversy.