Bengaluru Couple Arrested For Running Fake Nandini Ghee Racket

Bengaluru: In a major crackdown in Bengaluru, a couple has been arrested for operating a large-scale fake ‘Nandini’ ghee racket. Shivakumar and Ramya, identified as the kingpins behind the operation, allegedly ran a manufacturing unit that sold counterfeit ghee under the trusted Nandini brand, owned by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation (KMF).

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police raided the unit, uncovering advanced machinery used to produce adulterated ghee. Officials revealed that the couple employed high-tech industrial equipment to manufacture fake Nandini ghee on a significant scale. All the machinery has now been seized.

Earlier, four men involved in the racket were also arrested.

Nandini is one of South India’s most trusted dairy brands, and the suspects exploited its widespread demand by producing adulterated ghee and passing it off as genuine. The operation 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 launched an investigation based on secret intelligence.

The investigators raided godowns, shops, and vehicles linked to Krishna Enterprises in Chamarajpet’s Nanjamba Agrahara, identified as the main supply hub. During the operation, a vehicle transporting adulterated ghee from Tamil Nadu was intercepted and seized.

Authorities confiscated assets worth Rs 1.26 crore, including:

• 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee valued at Rs 56.95 lakh
• Machinery used for producing fake ghee
• Coconut and palm oil used as adulterants
• Five mobile phones
• Rs 1.19 lakh in cash
• Four Bolero goods vehicles valued at Rs 60 lakh

Officials are also investigating whether animal fat was mixed into the ghee. The arrests mark a significant step in safeguarding public health and cracking down on counterfeit food products in the region.