BREAKING NEWS | ED ATTACHES ₹129.85 CRORE ASSETS IN TIRUMALA LADDU GHEE ADULTERATION PROBE; TOTAL ACTION REACHES ₹132.55 CRORE

Hyderabad Zonal Office Uncovers Alleged ₹234.5-Crore Adulterated Ghee Supply Network; Front Dairies, Bogus Buyers, Fictitious Dairy Transactions and Hawala Channels Under Scanner

(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

HYDERABAD: In a major development in the investigation into the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied for the preparation of the sacred Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Lord Venkateswara Laddu Prasadam, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹129.85 crore belonging to several companies, their promoters and family members, and other related entities and individuals.

The latest attachment has been affected under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of the ongoing money-laundering investigation into the alleged fraudulent supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.

With the latest action, the total value of assets attached, seized or frozen in the case has reached ₹132.55 crore, according to the ED.

The entities and individuals whose assets have been provisionally attached include M/s Bhole Baba Oroganic Dairymilk Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities Pvt. Ltd., their promoters Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain and their family members; M/s Sukriti Foods Pvt. Ltd., its promoter Kailash Chand Mangla and his family members; besides other related entities and individuals.

FIR and Chargesheets Expose Alleged Criminal Conspiracy

The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of an FIR registered at Tirupati East Police Station, alleging criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and corruption in connection with the supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.

The predicate investigating agency subsequently filed a chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases at Nellore.

The prosecution case, as outlined in the investigative record, alleges a large-scale conspiracy to supply adulterated ghee for the preparation of the revered Lord Venkateswara Laddu Prasadam.

The alleged scheme is stated to have caused wrongful loss to TTD, generated substantial unlawful gains and raised serious concerns regarding public health and the integrity of the supply chain associated with the sacred offering.

₹234.5-Crore Supply Network Under ED Scanner

The ED’s investigation under the PMLA has revealed, according to the agency, that adulterated ghee valued at approximately ₹234.5 crore was supplied to TTD by M/s Bhole Baba, both directly and through other dairies allegedly operating as fronts.

These front dairies are alleged to have participated in TTD tender processes in their own names in return for commissions, while the ghee was actually manufactured at the facilities of M/s Bhole Baba and M/s Sukriti Foods.

The investigation alleges that the product was manufactured by blending refined palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein with chemicals, including monoglycerides, acetic acid ester, lactic acid and beta-carotene.

The resulting material was allegedly invoiced and represented as edible oils or dairy-related products as part of the purportedly fraudulent supply arrangement.

The alleged modus operandi, as described by the ED, points to a sophisticated system designed to disguise the actual nature of the manufactured product and create the appearance of legitimate dairy production and commercial transactions.

Bogus Buyers, Fictitious Purchases and Hawala Transactions Alleged

A significant aspect of the investigation concerns the alleged manipulation of financial and accounting records to conceal the true nature of the transactions.

According to the ED, the palm oil consumed in manufacturing the alleged adulterated ghee was shown in the books as having been sold to bogus buyers. At the same time, fictitious purchases of milk and ghee and fabricated sales of by-products, including skimmed milk, were allegedly recorded to project the appearance of a genuine dairy business.

The agency further alleges that payments routed through banking channels against fictitious purchases were subsequently returned in cash through hawala channels.

This cash was allegedly utilised to finance the transactions attributed to bogus palm-oil buyers, pay commissions to the front dairies and make payments to other persons connected with the alleged fraud.

The findings, as described by the ED, indicate an alleged mechanism involving false commercial documentation, layered financial transactions and cash movements intended to conceal the origin and utilisation of proceeds of crime.

Earlier Searches Across Six States; ₹2.7 Crore Seized or Frozen

The latest attachment follows searches conducted by the ED on 3 June 2026 at 16 premises across Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.

The searches targeted premises linked to the principal alleged conspirators, front dairies, chemical suppliers and accommodation-entry providers.

The operation resulted in the seizure or freezing of cash and bank balances amounting to ₹2.7 crore, the agency stated.

The ED has also arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of M/s Bhole Baba Oroganic Dairymilk Pvt. Ltd., and Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter and director of M/s Sukriti Foods Pvt. Ltd. The agency alleges that the two played key roles in organising the manufacture of adulterated ghee and its fraudulent supply to TTD.

The arrests and financial actions form part of the continuing investigation into the alleged manufacturing, distribution and laundering of proceeds generated through the supply network.

PMLA Action Intensifies; Further Investigation Underway

The provisional attachment of assets worth ₹129.85 crore marks a significant financial enforcement step in the case. By targeting assets allegedly linked to the suspected proceeds of crime, the ED is pursuing the financial trail alongside the underlying allegations of adulteration, cheating and conspiracy.

The aggregate figure of ₹132.55 crore includes the latest provisional attachment as well as earlier seizure and freezing measures under Section 17 of the PMLA.

The investigation remains ongoing, with the agency continuing to examine the roles of the companies, their promoters, intermediary dairies, financial facilitators and other persons allegedly connected with the transactions.