# ED arrests promoter in Tirupati ghee adulteration case

2026-09-19T05:41:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter of Sukriti Foods Pvt Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. The ED alleged that ghee was manufactured using refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, palmolein, and chemicals like MG-90 and Myvacet Soft 400, then passed off as Agmark Special Grade Cow Ghee. The agency has estimated the value of fraudulent ghee supplies between 2019 and 2024 at Rs 230 crore, with about Rs 96 crore worth allegedly made by Mangla's company. The ED says Mangla coordinated supplies through entities including Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities and Malganga Milk & Agro Products. The Special PMLA Court in Visakhapatnam remanded him to judicial custody. Separately, a CBI-led Special Investigation Team has stated in a chargesheet that no animal fat was found in tested ghee samples, describing the case as large-scale synthetic ghee and financial fraud. The ED's probe also did not find animal fat. The allegations remain under investigation.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The ED's arrest focuses the case on a specific industrial supply chain of palm oils and chemicals, moving away from the animal fat allegations that dominated political discourse in September 2024. Then-newsminute reports that the ED named six adulterants, none of them animal fats, and that both the CBI-led SIT and the ED have now ruled out animal fat. The arrest shifts attention to the financial trail of a Rs 230 crore supply scheme. The court proceedings will test whether the ED can substantiate the money laundering charges against Mangla.

## Coverage

- indiatvnews.com (neutral report) <https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/tirumala-tirupati-devasthanams-ghee-adulteration-case-ed-arrests-company-promoter-on-money-laundering-charges-2026-09-19-1054674>
  Straight factual report of arrest and remand, no political framing
- thenewsminute.com (government critical) <https://www.thenewsminute.com/andhra-pradesh/tirumala-ghee-adulteration-case-ed-probe-does-not-find-presence-of-animal-fat>
  Foregrounds CBI/ED findings of no animal fat, recalling CM Naidu's earlier claims
- english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) <https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/tirupati-laddu-probe-ed-palm-oil-ghee-adulteration-i5ufoxc7>
  Detailed procedural report, distinguishes allegations from established findings

Tags: Andhra Pradesh, CBI, Chandrababu Naidu, Enforcement Directorate, Kailash Chand Mangla, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
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