CHENNAI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has carried out extensive search operations at 15 locations across Ahilyanagar, Bikaner, Dehradun, Delhi, Dindigul, Guntur, Mumbai, and Roorkee in connection with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ghee adulteration fraud case.
According to an official press release issued on Wednesday, the searches were conducted at the residential and office premises of several individuals, including Pomil Jain, Vipin Jain, Raju Rajasekaran, Rajesh Mansukhlal Chavda, Apurva Vinaykanth Chavda, Machindra Shantaram Lanke, Ajay Kumar Sugandh, Mahesh Kumar Rohira, and Ashish Agarwal.
During the operations, ED officials seized cash amounting to Rs 60 lakh. Investigators also uncovered investments linked to proceeds of crime (PoC) valued at more than Rs 45 crore, in addition to details of several immovable properties held in the names of the accused and their family members.
The searches also covered dairy processing units, including AR Dairy Food Pvt. Ltd. in Dindigul, Malganga Milk & Agro Products Pvt. Ltd. in Ahilyanagar, and Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Pvt. Ltd. in Roorkee. Officials reportedly seized various incriminating documents that indicate the use of a network of legal entities to facilitate bogus sale and purchase transactions aimed at concealing and laundering proceeds of crime.
The ED stated that the investigation was initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, based on an FIR registered against AR Dairy Food Pvt. Ltd. and others. The accused are alleged to have conspired with certain TTD officials to commit criminal breach of trust and cheating, resulting in wrongful losses to TTD through the supply of adulterated ghee.
Preliminary findings suggest that funds generated through the alleged supply of adulterated ghee to TTD were subsequently invested in immovable properties through a complex network of interconnected legal entities and business concerns to disguise the origin of the funds.
The Enforcement Directorate said further investigation into the case is ongoing.