Fake Nandini ghee floods Bengaluru markets; police bust Tamil Nadu-based racket

Fake Nandini Ghee in Bengaluru

Bengaluru Police on Saturday busted a major adulteration racket that had been producing fake ghee and selling it in counterfeit packs of the Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) popular Nandini brand.

Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the case. According to officials, the police seized 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee, large quantities of coconut and palm oil, Rs 1.19 lakh in cash, four goods vehicles used for transport, and machinery used to produce and pack the fake ghee.

The total value of the seized items is estimated at Rs 1.27 crore, as per a statement from the office of Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemath Kumar Singh.

How the racket operated

According to the police, the network had been preparing adulterated ghee in Tamil Nadu to take advantage of the rising demand for Nandini ghee in Karnataka. The fake ghee was filled into counterfeit Nandini sachets and plastic bottles, which closely resembled the original packaging. These forged products were then supplied to the accused based in Bengaluru, who held official KMF distribution licences.

Using their licences and market access, the accused distributed the adulterated ghee to wholesale shops, retail stores and even Nandini parlours across the city, selling it at the original market price. This allowed the group to earn large profits while deceiving consumers who trusted the brand.

How the police cracked the case

The racket was busted after the Central Crime Branch (CCB), the Special Investigation Squad and the KMF vigilance wing gathered intelligence and tracked the entire operation for several weeks. Acting on this information, the teams launched simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to the accused.

The raids targeted godowns, shops and goods vehicles belonging to Krishna Enterprises in Nanjamba Agrahara, Chamarajpet, all owned by the main accused and their relatives. During the operation, police intercepted a vehicle transporting adulterated ghee and arrested the driver on the spot.

Those arrested include Mahendra, a licensed KMF distributor; his son Deepak; Muniraju, the supplier who sourced the adulterated ghee from Tamil Nadu; and Abhi Arasu, who allegedly transported the fake product to Bengaluru.

A case has been registered with the CCB Special Investigation Division. Police say the investigation is continuing and more arrests are likely as they probe the full scale of the operation and possible involvement of others.