Bengaluru police have uncovered a large-scale ghee adulteration racket that targeted Karnataka’s trusted Nandini brand, seizing over 8,136 litres of fake
ghee and arresting four accused in a joint operation with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Vigilance Wing. The City Crime Branch (CCB) found that the racket was being run out of Tamil Nadu, where adulterated ghee and palm oil were being mixed, packed into counterfeit Nandini-branded sachets and bottles and then pushed into the Bengaluru market through local distributors. "Four accused have been arrested in this case so far. Authorities have seized 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee, coconut and palm oil, Rs 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 Rs 1.27 crore," a statement issued by the office of Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said.
#BREAKING || Major 'Fake Ghee' Racket Busted
- Adulterators target Nandini brand.
- 8,136 liters of 'fake ghee' seized.
- Tamil Nadu-to-Bengaluru supply route.
- 4 accused arrested.
- KMF license holders under probe.@keypadguerilla shares details with @Prathibhatweets. pic.twitter.com/2a7c2qhdFG— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 17, 2025
"Understanding the high demand for Nandini ghee in Karnataka, the accused had been preparing adulterated ghee in Tamil Nadu, filling it into counterfeit Nandini sachets and plastic bottles, and supplying it to Bengaluru-based accused who held official KMF licenses," it added.
These accused were then distributing the adulterated ghee to various wholesale and retail shops and Nandini parlours across the city, passing it off as original Nandini ghee at the actual market price, it said.
"Based on intelligence gathered secretly by the CCB (Central Crime Branch) Special Investigation Squad and KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation) Vigilance Wing officers, the operation was tracked," it said.
Raids were conducted on November 14 at multiple gowdowns and vehicles linked to Krishna Enterprises in Chamarajpet. Officers recovered nearly Rs 1.5 crore worth of adulterated products, raw materials, four Bolero cars, mobile phones and cash.
According to sources, the racket has been operating for several years, raising suspicions of insider involvement. KMF license holders and distributors are now under scrutiny as officials believe such large-scale counterfeiting would be impossible without internal complicity.
Authorities are continuing raids to determine the full extent of the network and whether more distributors or factories are involved.
