The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets worth ₹129.85 crore in a money-laundering investigation into alleged adulterated ghee supplies to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Tirumala temple. The action covers assets linked to Bhole Baba Organic Dairymilk, Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities, Sukriti Foods, their promoters and associated individuals and entities. The agency said the total value of assets attached, seized or frozen in the case has reached ₹132.55 crore. The allegations remain subject to legal proceedings.
Tirupati Adulterated Ghee Case Sees ED Attach Assets Worth Rs 129.85 Crore
In its money laundering investigation into alleged adulterated ghee supplies to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 129.85 crore, taking total attachments, seizures and freezes to Rs 132.55 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made a major financial development in the Tirupati adulterated ghee case with the agency attaching assets worth Rs 129.85 crore during the course of its investigation into alleged irregularities in the supply of ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the ED said on Wednesday.
The attachment includes companies, promoters, relatives and other entities allegedly connected with the suspected money laundering operation. The total value of attachments, seizures and freezes under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is to the tune of Rs 132.55 crore, the ED said.
ED Identifies Companies and Individuals in the Tirupati Adulterated Ghee Case
The assets attached are of Bhole Baba Organic Dairymilk Pvt Ltd, Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities Pvt Ltd, their promoters Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain, and family members associated with them, the agency said.
The action also pertains to Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd, its promoter Kailash Chand Mangla, his relatives, and other related entities and individuals. The ED is probing alleged financial transactions in the supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.
The TTD runs the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, famous for its sacred laddu offering. The probe is in connection with allegations that the ghee supplied for the requirements of the institution was prepared using ingredients not in conformity with genuine dairy production.
The latest attachment follows the agency’s probe into the alleged diversion of funds and use of financial transactions that were designed to hide the origin and movement of money related to the supplies.
Alleged Ghee Manufacturing and Supply Network
The ED claimed that Bhole Baba had supplied adulterated ghee worth Rs 234.5 crore to TTD, either directly or through intermediary dairies who participated in tenders in their own name in lieu of commissions.
The agency said the ghee was being manufactured at the units owned by Bhole Baba and Sukriti Foods. The process involved mixing refined palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein with chemicals used in the alleged formulation, investigators said.
The agency found substances including monoglycerides, acetic acid ester, lactic acid and beta carotene. The product was allegedly invoiced as edible oils according to the ED's account of the suspected operation.
The agency is probing these allegations as part of its money laundering investigation. The allegations are against the companies and individuals identified by investigators and should not be considered proven criminal liability unless adjudicated through the proper legal process.
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ED Alleges Fictitious Transactions and Hawala Payments
The ED said the alleged network used accounting entries and financial transactions to give the impression the business was legitimate. Fake buyers would be recorded as consuming palm oil for production purposes.
Investigators also alleged that fake purchases of milk and ghee were recorded along with alleged sales of by-products such as skimmed milk. The entries were claimed to give the impression of normal dairy manufacturing and commercial activity.
The payments made through the banking channels for the fictitious purchases were later returned in cash through the hawala channels, the agency said. Hawala is an informal system for transferring value, and it can be used in the absence of conventional banking arrangements.
The ED had alleged the cash was used to fund the alleged palm-oil buyers, pay commissions to intermediary dairies and compensate other people related to the suspected operation.
What the Investigation Means Next
The Rs 132.55 crore includes seized and frozen assets under PMLA, and the Rs 129.85 crore is the difference between the two.
The allegations raise questions about procurement oversight, supplier verification and financial controls in the supply chain of a major religious institution. However, the results of the investigation are to be distinguished from the findings reached in judicial proceedings.
The ED's asset attachment represents a step in the money laundering investigation, rather than a final determination of guilt. Further legal proceedings and evidence assessment will establish how the allegations against the named entities and individuals are resolved.
Sprouts News will continue tracking developments in the case, including any subsequent official statements, court proceedings, or additional enforcement action, as the investigation progresses.
