The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Sukriti Foods promoter Kailash Chand Mangla in a money laundering case linked to the alleged adulteration of ghee used to prepare Tirupati Laddu prasadam. The agency said its investigation found that the ghee supplied as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was allegedly manufactured using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein and various chemicals.
In a statement, the federal agency said Mangla was taken into custody by its Hyderabad office on September 17 in connection with the TTD ghee adulteration case. He was later produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Visakhapatnam, which sent him to judicial custody, the ED said.
According to the agency, the adulterated ghee allegedly used for Tirupati Laddu prasadam was manufactured using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein and chemicals including MG-90, monoglycerides, Myvacet Soft 400 and acetic acid ester. It alleged that these were then supplied as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee to TTD.
The ED claimed that the alleged fraudulent supplies of ghee to TTD between 2019 and 2024 were valued at Rs 230 crore, and that adulterated ghee worth Rs 96 crore was manufactured by Mangla. 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,” the ED said. It further alleged that “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 agency has earlier arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk, on similar charges. With Mangla now in judicial custody, the ED has said its probe in the TTD ghee adulteration case has found alleged use of adulterants in supplies made as cow ghee for Tirupati Laddu prasadam.
– Ends
With PTI inputs
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Sep 19, 2026 00:06 IST
