KARNAL: A routine tanker movement at a dairy plant in Haryana allegedly turned into a major milk theft case after a vehicle that had delivered paneer whey was intercepted carrying 9,110 kg of unauthorised milk, valued at approximately ₹7.68 lakh.
The incident occurred at Modern Dairies Limited, Shamgarh, Karnal, on the night of December 17, 2025, according to the complaint filed by the company’s assistant manager.
Tanker allegedly diverted to milk-loading area
The tanker had arrived at the dairy plant carrying paneer whey from Ropar District Cooperative Milk Union, Mohali. Its recorded gross weight on arrival was 32,360 kg.
After unloading the whey at the Casein Plant reception, the tanker’s weight fell to 11,800 kg.
According to the complaint, instead of proceeding towards the main exit, the driver allegedly diverted the tanker to the plant’s milk-loading area and connected the vehicle directly to a milk tank.
The complaint alleges that approximately 9,800 litres of milk were subsequently loaded without authorisation.
The vehicle was stopped by a security supervisor at the main gate after its movement raised suspicion. On inspection, officials reportedly found 9,110 kg of milk inside the tanker. The value of the milk was assessed at approximately ₹7.68 lakh.
Police allege wider conspiracy
An FIR was registered at Taraori police station, Karnal, on December 18, 2025, invoking provisions relating to theft and criminal conspiracy.
Three people were arrested during the investigation, including the alleged tanker driver, a co-accused and a security guard.
Investigators also reportedly identified suspicious bank transactions amounting to around ₹45 lakh in the account of one of the accused. Police alleged that the transactions could indicate that the suspected operation had been functioning for a longer period.
These allegations, however, remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
Security guard’s alleged role disputed
The security guard subsequently approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking bail.
His counsel argued that the guard had been implicated primarily on the basis of a disclosure statement made by a co-accused. The defence maintained that he was a temporary employee and had no control over the dairy plant’s milk-loading system or internal pumping operations, which were handled by processing operators and plant helpers.
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The defence also argued that milk loading was monitored through CCTV surveillance and multiple security layers, while the guard’s assigned responsibility was limited to security duties.
It was further submitted that the guard had no previous criminal record and that no further recovery was required from him.
The State opposed the bail application, citing the seriousness of the allegations and concerns that the accused could abscond or repeat a similar offence if released.
High Court grants bail
Justice Manisha Batra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court ultimately allowed the security guard’s bail petition.
The Court noted that the guard had been in custody since December 19, 2025, and that the investigation had already been completed.
The bail order concerns the guard’s continued detention and does not amount to a finding that the allegations against any accused are proved.
A serious dairy-plant control failure
Beyond the criminal proceedings, the case highlights an important operational issue for dairy plants: milk inventory control and tanker movement require strict physical and digital reconciliation.
A robust dairy-plant control system should link:
vehicle entry → weighbridge → product unloading → authorised loading → milk quantity reconciliation → final weighment → gate exit.
CCTV surveillance, automated valves, access controls, tanker identification, electronic weighbridge records and independent reconciliation can significantly reduce the possibility of unauthorised product movement.
For a dairy plant handling thousands of litres of milk every day, even a single unauthorised tanker load can translate into a substantial financial loss—and repeated diversion can become a much larger supply-chain leakage problem.
Punjab and Haryana High Court on Bail in Milk Theft Case
Justice Manisha Batra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed the bail petition, noting that the security guard had been in custody since 19 December 2025 and that investigation in the case had already concluded.
he court held that no useful purpose would be served by continuing to detain him ahead of trial. It cited the well-settled principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, and that pre-trial incarceration should not become a replica of post-conviction detention. The object of bail, the court noted, is to secure the accused’s presence during trial and cannot be used as a preventive or punitive measure.
The court granted bail subject to the guard furnishing personal and surety bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court, and clarified that its observations on the matter would not be construed as an opinion on the merits of the case and would not influence the outcome of the trial.
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