ED Arrests Ghee Supplier in Tirupati Laddu Adulteration Case

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter of Sukriti Foods, in connection with the adulteration of ghee used to prepare the Tirupati Laddu prasadam, the agency said on Friday.

Mangla was taken into custody by the ED's Hyderabad office on September 17 and produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Visakhapatnam, which remanded him to judicial custody.

The agency alleged that the ghee supplied for the prasadam was manufactured using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein and chemicals such as MG-90, monoglycerides, Myvacet Soft 400 and acetic acid ester, and then passed off as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee for supply to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

According to the ED, fraudulent ghee supplies to TTD between 2019 and 2024 were valued at Rs 230 crore, of which adulterated ghee worth Rs 96 crore was manufactured by Mangla.

The agency described Mangla as a co-conspirator who facilitated the procurement of adulterants and produced the adulterated ghee at his factory. It alleged that he coordinated its supply through front entities, including Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities, Malganga Milk & Agro Products and A.R. Dairy Foods.

Mangla is also accused of creating and maintaining false records for the sale and purchase of ghee and refined palm oil in order to conceal the use of adulterants and give the appearance of legitimate production and supply of genuine cow ghee.

The ED had earlier arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk, on similar charges.