Two arrested with spurious ghee

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 11

The police have booked four persons for selling spurious ghee by pasting fake brand stickers in Bathinda and adjoining districts.

Investigating officer SI Harjiwan Singh said the police had got a tip-off that Suman Kumar, Lakesh Garg and Himmat Singh, residents of Dugri in Ludhiana, were preparing spurious ghee in the name of Verka and after pasting fake stickers, supplying it in Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur and other cities across the state from Ludhiana in a vehicle (PB 10 FH 4488).

Further, he claimed that on the tip-off they had registered a case and started working to nab the accused. CIA team-1 had arrested the two accused from near Chetak Park along with the Swfit Dzire car and spurious ghee from them.

A case under Sections 272, 273, 420, 465, 467, 472 and 473 of the IPC and Sections 59 and 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 has been registered at the Cantonment police station.

A few months ago, the Punjab Government’s food safety wing had unearthed a racket in Mansa where adulterated ghee prepared from vegetable fat and other concoctions was being sold in the name of popular brands such as Verka, Amul and Milkfood.

Besides ghee, the accused were preparing fake Tata Salt, Good Day Salt, Tide detergent and other products. About 700 packets of Tata Tea Gold filled with inferior-quality tea were also found from the spot.

A large number of labels of various brands were seized, indicating the accused had a vast production and marketing network.