Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 27: Days after a fake ‘Nandini’ ghee racket was uncovered in Bengaluru, a man and his wife, identified as the kingpins, were arrested on Wednesday.

Officials said the couple, Shivakumar and Ramya, operated a manufacturing unit and sold counterfeit ghee under the ‘Nandini’ brand, owned by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation (KMF).

The unit was raided by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police, who found large, high-tech machinery used to produce adulterated ghee. Officials said the couple had allegedly been using advanced industrial equipment to manufacture fake ‘Nandini’ products on a large scale. All machinery used in the production processes has been seized.

Earlier, four men involved in the racket’s operations had already been arrested.

Nandini, one of South India’s most trusted dairy brands, enjoys massive market demand, which the accused exploited by preparing adulterated ghee and passing it off as genuine. The racket came to light after suspicious supply patterns prompted internal checks.

On November 14, a joint team from the CCB Special Investigation Squad and the KMF Vigilance Wing tracked the operation based on secret intelligence. Investigators raided godowns, shops, and vehicles linked to Krishna Enterprises in Chamarajpet’s Nanjamba Agrahara, believed to be the supply hub.

During the operation, a vehicle transporting adulterated packed ghee from Tamil Nadu was intercepted and seized. Police also confiscated assets worth Rs 1.26 crore, including 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee worth Rs 56.95 lac, machinery used to manufacture fake ghee, coconut and palm oil used for mixing, five mobile phones, Rs 1.19 lac in cash, and four Bolero goods vehicles valued at Rs 60 lac.

Officials are also testing whether animal fat was mixed in the ghee.

“This operation reflects the seriousness with which we are tackling food adulteration and protecting public trust in brands like Nandini,” said a CCB official.