Bengaluru Police arrest couple linked to fake Nandini ghee racket

The couple were allegedly key figures in a counterfeit ghee operation that ran a manufacturing unit and sold fake 'Nandini' branded products across Bengaluru, according to the police inquiry

A couple, identified as Shivakumar and Ramya, were arrested by the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday for their alleged connection to the fake 'Nandini' ghee racket that was busted in the city earlier this month, reported NDTV.

 

The couple were allegedly the key figures behind a racket that ran a manufacturing unit and sold counterfeit ghee under the 'Nandini' brand, owned by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation (KMF), the report added.

 

The report cited Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials as saying that the couple allegedly used advanced industrial equipment to produce counterfeit 'Nandini' products on a large scale.

 

 

Raids reveal widespread fake ghee network

On November 15, Bengaluru Police said that they had uncovered a large network involved in producing adulterated ghee and selling it in counterfeit 'Nandini' packs, leading to the arrest of four individuals.

 

A joint team from the CCB Special Investigation Squad and the KMF Vigilance Wing raided godowns, shops, and vehicles linked to Krishna Enterprises in Nanjamba Agrahara, Chamarajpet, owned by the main accused and their family members.

 

The accused allegedly manufactured adulterated ghee in Tamil Nadu, packaged it in fake Nandini sachets and bottles, and supplied it to Bengaluru-based individuals holding official KMF licences. It was then distributed to wholesale and retail shops and Nandini parlours, passing it off as genuine products.

 

What has the police seized in the case so far?

"Four accused have been arrested in this case so far. Authorities have seized 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee, coconut and palm oil, ₹1.19 lakh in cash, four goods vehicles used for transportation, machinery used for manufacturing the adulterated ghee, and other related items. The total value of the seized property is approximately ₹1.27 crore," said Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh.  (With PTI inputs.)