New Delhi:The ghee used to prepare the ‘Tirupati Laddu’ prasadam during 2019-2024 was allegedly manufactured using refined palm oil, palmolein and various chemicals, the Enforcement Directorate said on Friday, after arresting a ghee manufacturing company promoter on money laundering charges a day earlier.
The agency said the ED Hyderabad office had taken Kailash Chand Mangla of Sukriti Foods into custody on Thursday in connection with the ghee adulteration case. He was produced before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Special Court in Visakhapatnam, which sent him to judicial custody, PTI reported from the ED statement.
The agency found that the adulterated ghee used to prepare the laddu prasadam was allegedly manufactured using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein and chemicals identified as MG-90, Myvacet Soft 400, monoglycerides, and acetic acid ester. This was subsequently supplied as ‘Agmark special grade cow ghee’ for supply to the TTD during the period from 2019 to 2024.
The alleged fraudulent ghee supplies were valued at Rs 230 crore, and out of this Rs 96 crore of adulterated ghee was manufactured by Mangla, it claimed. 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 statement said, according to PTI.
“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 ED alleged. The agency has earlier arrested Vipin Jain, promoter and director of a company named Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk, on similar charges.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
