The police have arrested four people for selling adulterated ghee at an outlet of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and recovered the equipment used for adulteration.
The suspects are Ayyappan, 30, a native of Tamil Nadu and resident of J J Nagar, Maruthi 28, Malleshwaram, Sukumar, 67, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu and Shivakumar, 29, Kumara Park West, said the police.
Ayyappan, the prime suspect, incurred Rs 5 lakh loss in cricket betting and resorted to the crime to overcome financial trouble, added the police.
"He came into contact with Maruthi, a worker with Eagle Enterprises, the official wholesale dealer of the KMF products. The duo connived with Shivakumar and Sukumar, who run Nandini milk dairy outlets, and began adulterating the ghee," said an officer.
Maruthi supplied covers for packing the ghee, added the police.
KMF officials at Adugodi received complaints by a few customers about the quality of the ghee sold at an outlet in Bengaluru Dairy compound, Adugodi.
They sent a few packets for tests at their laboratory. The results indicated that the ghee was adulterated, said the police.
The police questioned Shivakumar and Sukumar based on suspicion and later picked up Ayyappan and Maruthi who confessed to the crime.
They have been booked under IPC Sections 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) and 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) and 420 (cheating).
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