New Delhi: The ghee used to prepare 'Tirupati Laddu' prasadam was allegedly manufactured using refined palm oil, palmolein and various chemicals, the ED said on Friday after it arrested a ghee manufacturing company promoter on money laundering charges.
The federal probe agency said in a statement that Kailash Chand Mangla of Sukriti Foods was taken into custody on September 17 by the Hyderabad office of the ED in connection with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ghee adulteration case.
He was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Visakhapatnam, which sent him to judicial custody, it said.
The agency claimed its probe found that adulterated ghee (used to prepare Tirupati Laddu prasadam) was allegedly manufactured using Refined Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Palmolein and various chemicals, including MG-90, Monoglycerides, Myvacet Soft 400 and Acetic Acid Ester, and was subsequently supplied as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee for supply to TTD.
The alleged fraudulent supplies of ghee to TTD during 2019-2024 were valued at Rs 230 crore, and out of this, Rs 96 crore of adulterated ghee was manufactured by Mangla, it claimed.
The agency said Mangla was one of the co-conspirators in the case, facilitated the procurement of adulterants and manufactured adulterated ghee at his factory premises.
"He also coordinated the supply of adulterated ghee through various front entities, including Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities, Malganga Milk & Agro Products and A.R. Dairy Foods," it said.
"Mangla created and maintained false records relating to the sale and purchase of ghee and refined palm oil, with the objective of concealing the actual utilisation of adulterants and creating an appearance of legitimate production and supply of genuine cow ghee," the ED alleged.
The agency has earlier arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of a company named Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk, on similar charges.
