Bengaluru: Couple held for manufacturing and selling fake Nandini ghee
The Bengaluru Police Central Crime Branch busted a fake "Nandini" ghee manufacturing unit. They have arrested 6 people in connection with the case. A couple who have now been arrested are reportedly the kingpin of the "Fake Nandini Ghee racket". The police also seized money , mobile phones and vehicles used to transport the ghee from the possession of the accused. Heavy equipment used in manufacturing the counterfeit ghee was also seized.
New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Bengaluru Police have arrested a couple, for allegedly running a fake 'Nandini' ghee racket. The man and his wife, Shivakumar and Ramya were identified as the 'kingpin' of the racket being run in the city. They sold ghee under the name "Nandini” which is owned by the Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation.
Fake ghee manufacturing unit busted
The Central Crime Branch police conducted a raid and busted the fake ghee manufacturing unit, reported NDTV. They found large ghee manufacturing equipment being used at the unit to produce counterfeit ghee. The two accused had allegedly been using large and sophisticated equipment to not only manufacture 'fake Nandini ghee' but also other 'Nandini products.'
The police have now seized all the machinery used in the manufacturing unit and also the fake ghee and other products being manufactured from this unit. Earlier 4 people working at this unit were arrested.
Nandini is one of the most trusted brands in Karnataka. Taking advantage of this fact, the accused exploited the people's sentiments and sold adulterated ghee under this brand name. The racket was busted after suspicion arose regarding supply of the product and internal chgecks were launched.
Based on specific intelligence input, a joint team of Central Crime Branch Special Investigation Squad and the KMF Vigilance Wing, launched a search in the matter. They tracked down this fake ghee manufacturing unit. The unit was running under the name Krishna Enterprises. The team raided godowns, shops, and vehicles related to this company.
The police team seized a vehicle transporting adulterated ghee from Tamil Nadu. In total 8,136 litres of adulterated ghee was seized and Rs 1.26 crore in cash was recovered by the investigators. The ghee seized was worth more than Rs 56 lakh.
The team also seized coconut and palm oil, used for mixing in the ghee, 5 mobile phones and Rs 1.19 lakh in cash. Four Bolero vehicles used to transport the ghee were also seized. The officials are now testing if animal fat was also mixed in the fake ghee being manufactured at the units.