Bengaluru mastermind couple arrested in fake Nandini Ghee racket

Fake Nandini Ghee racket

Bengaluru police on Wednesday arrested a man and his wife, identified as its kingpins, in connection with the fake 'Nandini' ghee racket that was busted in the city few days back.

According to a report by NDTV, the couple was identified as Shivakumar and Ramya. They operated a manufacturing unit and sold fake ghee under the brand 'Nandini', owned by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation (KMF).

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) raided the unit and found large, high-end machinery used to manufacture the fake products. Investigators said the couple had deployed advanced industrial equipment to produce counterfeit ‘Nandini’ ghee on a significant scale.

As per the report, all equipment used in the operation has been seized. Earlier, four others linked to the racket’s daily operations had already been arrested.

Nandini, one of South India’s most trusted dairy brands, commands a huge consumer base — a demand the accused allegedly exploited by preparing adulterated ghee and selling it as authentic. The racket came under scrutiny after irregular supply patterns prompted internal checks. On November 14, a joint team from the CCB’s Special Investigation Squad and the KMF Vigilance Wing began tracking the network based on a tip-off.

Investigators subsequently raided godowns, shops and vehicles connected to Krishna Enterprises in Chamarajpet’s Nanjamba Agrahara, which is believed to have functioned as the main supply hub, the report added.

During the crackdown, the police intercepted a vehicle transporting adulterated, pre-packaged ghee from Tamil Nadu. In total, authorities seized assets worth ₹1.26 crore, including 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee valued at ₹56.95 lakh, machinery used for manufacturing, coconut and palm oil used for blending, five mobile phones, ₹1.19 lakh in cash, and four Bolero goods vehicles worth ₹60 lakh.

Officials have also sent samples for testing to determine whether animal fat was mixed into the ghee.