The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹129.85 crore belonging to individuals and companies allegedly involved in supplying adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for preparing the sacred laddu prasadam offered at the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh.
The action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to the supply of adulterated ghee.
According to an official ED statement, the attached assets belong to Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Pvt Ltd and its promoter Vipin Jain; Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities Pvt Ltd and its promoter Pomil Jain; Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd and its promoter Kailash Chand Mangla; their family members; and other associated entities and individuals.
Investigation Uncovers Alleged ₹234.50-Crore Supply Fraud
The ED initiated its investigation following an FIR registered at Tirupati East police station in June 2024. The FIR alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and corruption in the supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.
A special investigation team subsequently filed a chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Nellore, detailing an alleged conspiracy to supply adulterated ghee for preparing the temple’s laddu prasadam.
The investigation alleged that the scheme defrauded TTD, posed risks to public health and generated substantial unlawful proceeds.
According to the ED, approximately ₹234.50 crore worth of adulterated ghee was supplied to TTD by Bhole Baba Organic Dairy, both directly and through intermediary dairies that allegedly participated in tenders under their own names in exchange for commissions.
Alleged Use of Vegetable Oils and Chemicals
The ED investigation found that the ghee was allegedly manufactured at facilities operated by Bhole Baba Organic Dairy and Sukriti Foods by blending refined palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein with chemicals, including monoglycerides, acetic acid esters, lactic acid and beta-carotene.
The products were allegedly invoiced as edible oils before being supplied through the arrangement.
According to the agency, fictitious transactions were recorded to conceal the alleged operation. Palm oil used in manufacturing was reportedly shown as having been sold to bogus buyers, while fabricated purchases of milk and ghee and fictitious sales of by-products, including skimmed milk, were recorded to create the appearance of legitimate dairy operations.
The ED further alleged that payments made through banking channels for these fictitious purchases were returned in cash through hawala networks. The cash was allegedly used to finance the bogus palm-oil buyers, pay commissions to intermediary dairies and compensate other individuals connected with the scheme.
Searches and Arrests in Multiple States
On June 3, 2026, the ED conducted searches at 16 premises across Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The locations were linked to alleged principal conspirators, intermediary dairies, chemical suppliers and providers of accommodation entries.
The searches resulted in the seizure or freezing of cash and bank balances amounting to ₹2.7 crore, according to the agency.
The ED has also arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Pvt Ltd, and Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter and director of Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd. The agency alleges that they orchestrated the manufacture of adulterated ghee and its fraudulent supply to TTD.
With the latest provisional attachment, the total value of assets attached, seized or frozen in the case has reached ₹132.55 crore, including action under Section 17 of the PMLA, the ED said.
The agency added that further investigation into the alleged money laundering operation is underway.
