Tanker driver fills 9,800 litres of milk after delivering paneer whey; dairy plant catches the vehicle with Rs 7.6 lakh worth 'stolen' load; security guard accused for helping gets bail

A tanker driver allegedly stole 9,800 litres of milk worth approximately Rs 7.6 lakh from a Haryana dairy plant by connecting his vehicle directly to the plant's milk tank after completing a routine paneer whey delivery, according to a complaint filed by Modern Dairies Limited, Shamgarh, Karnal.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while granting bail to a security guard accused of helping facilitate the theft, detailed the sequence of events as recorded in the FIR on 12 August 2026.

How the Milk Theft at Karnal Dairy Plant Happened


On the night of 17 December 2025, a tanker arrived at Modern Dairies Limited in Shamgarh, Karnal, carrying paneer whey from Ropar District Cooperative Milk Union in Mohali. The gross weight of the tanker at arrival was recorded as 32,360 kilograms.

After the whey was unloaded at the Casein Plant reception, the tanker's weight came down to 11,800 kilograms, as expected. At that point, instead of heading to the main gate to exit, the driver took the tanker towards the area where milk is loaded at the plant.

According to the complaint filed by the plant's Assistant Manager, the driver connected the tanker directly to the plant's milk tank and filled 9,800 litres of milk before moving towards the exit. A security supervisor stopped the vehicle on suspicion at the main gate. Upon inspection, 9,110 kilograms of milk was found in the tanker, filled without authorisation.

The total value of the milk in the tanker at the time of interception was assessed at approximately Rs 7,68,000.

Who Was Arrested in the Dairy Milk Theft Case?

The FIR was registered at Police Station Taraori, Karnal on 18 December 2025 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, including provisions related to theft and criminal conspiracy.

Three people were arrested in connection with the case. A co-accused was arrested on 18 December 2025, the security guard on 19 December, and the tanker driver on 27 December 2025.

The complaint alleged that the driver, in connivance with the security guard and others inside the plant, had been systematically sending milk out of the facility, causing significant cumulative loss to Modern Dairies Limited.

During investigation, police said they found multiple suspicious bank transactions totalling Rs 45 lakh in the account of one of the co-accused, suggesting the operation had been running for some time before it was caught.

What Was the Security Guard's Role?

The security guard's counsel argued before the High Court that his client had been falsely implicated on the basis of a disclosure statement made by a co-accused. He submitted that the guard was a temporary employee with no control over the loading mechanism or internal pumping operations at the plant, both of which were managed exclusively by processing operators and plant helpers.

The counsel further submitted that the entire loading process at the dairy plant is monitored by CCTV cameras and overseen by multiple layers of security, and that the guard's only assigned duty was to protect the premises. He had no prior criminal record and no recovery remained to be made from him, the counsel added.

The state opposed bail, arguing the gravity of the allegations and the risk of the accused absconding or repeating similar offences if released.

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.

The 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.

Check the Punjab & Haryana Court order here: