Promoter Arrested in TTD Ghee Scam Worth Rs 230 Crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter of Sukriti Foods, in connection with a money laundering case concerning the adulteration of ghee intended for Tirupati Laddu prasadam. Investigations by the ED indicated that ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee was allegedly produced using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein, and various chemicals.

Mangla was taken into custody by the ED's Hyderabad office on September 17 and subsequently sent to judicial custody by a special court in Visakhapatnam. The ED claims that the adulterated ghee, used in the sacred offering, was manufactured using ingredients like MG-90 and monoglycerides. The alleged fraudulent supplies to TTD, spanning from 2019 to 2024, are valued at Rs 230 crore, with Mangla allegedly manufacturing adulterated ghee worth Rs 96 crore.

The ED further stated that Mangla facilitated the procurement of adulterants and oversaw the production of adulterated ghee at his factory. He is also accused of coordinating supplies through front entities and maintaining false records to conceal the use of adulterants, thereby creating an illusion of genuine production. Earlier, another promoter, Vipin Jain, was arrested on similar charges.