On Tuesday (27th February), the Hyderabad police’s Central Task Force along with Begumpet Police arrested four persons for producing and selling adulterated ginger-garlic paste in Rajendernagar.
The police arrested 72-year-old Panduranga Rao, a trader from Patigadda, Begumpet, who conspired with 36-year-old Raheem Charaniya, the owner of Deccan Traders, to make adulterated ginger and garlic paste. The gang had been supplying their adulterated product in Kirana stores in the market with the assistance of 43-year-old Ajay Kumar Aheer, the proprietor of Telangana Agency and 29-year-old Pradeep Sankla, the proprietor of Nikil Traders. The police confiscated Rs 5 lakh worth of materials from the arrested accused.
The police first apprehended Panduranga Rao based on a tip-off. He brought them to the spurious manufacturing and trading facility in Upperpally, Rajendranagar. The seized items included 700 kilograms of ginger and garlic paste, 625 kilograms of low-grade raw garlic, 100 kilograms of low-grade raw ginger, 150 kilograms of crystal salt, an unknown liquid, powder, chemical tins, and 20 kilograms of decomposed ginger and garlic paste. In addition, 1 weight machine, 1 sealing/packing machine, and grinder machines were also seized.
The Hyderabad Police informed that one of the accused Raheem Charaniya is a native of Gujarat who migrated to Begumpet and settled here a few years ago.
“To gain easy money, illegal manufacturing machinery was established at Upper Pally, Rajendranagar. Manufacturing adulterate Ginger-Garlic paste by using undisclosed/unnamed chemical, Red colour by using citric acid, spurious components and supplying to various General Kirana stores as genuine product and gaining huge profits in illegal manner,” Hyderabad Police said in a Facebook post.
The police added, “The adulterated Ginger Garlic paste is hazardous to human life. The spurious/Toxic material which may cause life threatening effects even in small amounts and with short exposure. May cause serious and prolonged health effects on short or long term exposure to human.”
Following the arrest, a case was registered at Begumpet Police Station against the accused persons under sections 272, 273, 336 and 420 of the IPC.