Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Kailash Chand Mangla, a promoter of Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd, in connection with the alleged supply of adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Mangla was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and subsequently produced before a special PMLA court in Visakhapatnam. The court remanded him to judicial custody.
The ED had initiated its probe based on an FIR registered at the Tirupati East police station. The FIR alleged a criminal conspiracy involving fraud, forgery and corruption in connection with the supply of adulterated ghee to the TTD.
According to the ED investigation, several ingredients and chemicals, including refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein, MG-90, monoglycerides, Mivacet 400 and acetic acid esters, were allegedly used to manufacture the adulterated product. The ghee was subsequently marketed as ‘Agmark Special Ghee’ and supplied to the TTD, the agency said.
The alleged fraud took place between 2019 and 2024, during which adulterated ghee worth around Rs 230 crore was allegedly supplied to the temple body, according to the ED.
Of this, around Rs 96 crore worth of adulterated ghee was allegedly manufactured directly by Mangla, the agency said.
The ED has alleged that Mangla, promoter of Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd, was part of the conspiracy and facilitated the procurement of materials used in the adulteration process. He also allegedly manufactured the adulterated ghee at his factory, according to the agency. The investigation is continuing.
